














s^' ^^, 



* '0-, -o'^ . c ° : -^ « /% ' " '' ' ^,^^^' -<• ^ ■ " * 



•>;"•->-:, 






,0' ^ ' '/ 'c 



















., '^C;. 

^ ^ 



..^^•' 

^V.^% 









.o^;c«.'^,'^«/''^^^** .>^ 



<^^\\ 






« 'b 






<rMZ^ 



Digitized by tine Internet Arciiive 
in 2010 witii funding from 
Tine Library of Congress 



littp://www.arcliive.org/details/storyofbronxfromOOjenk 



By STEPHEN JENKINS 

The Greatest Street in the World — Broadway 
The Story of The Bronx 



The Story 

of . 

The Bronx 

From the Purchase Made by the Dutch from the 
Indians in 1639 to the Present Day 



By 

Stephen Jenkins 

'I 

Member of Westchester County Historical Society 
Author of " The Greatest Street in the World — Broadway 



With liO Illustrations and Mafis 



G, P. Putnam's Sons 

New York and London 

^be fkniclterbocftet ptcss 

1912 



■68 



Copyright, igi2 

BY 

STEPHEN JENKINS 



tTbe "Rnfcftcrbocfter pteas, Hew iorft 









This Book is Dedicated 

TO THE 

NORTH SIDE BOARD OF TRADE OF 
THE BOROUGH OF THE BRONX 

WHOSE EFFORTS — NOT FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OR BENEFIT OF INDIVIDUALS, 

BUT FOR THE GENERAL WELFARE OF THE COMMUNITY — HAVE 

ADDED SO MUCH IN RECENT YEARS TO THE PROGRESS 

AND PROSPERITY OF THE BOROUGH 



TO THE BRONX 

I sat me down upon a green bank side, 
Skirting the smooth edge of a gentle river, 

Whose waters seemed unwillingly to glide. 

Like parting friends, who linger while they sever; 

Enforced to go, yet seeming still unready, 

Backward they wind their way in many a wistful eddy. 



And I did leave thy loveliness to stand 

Again in the dull world of earthly blindness, 

Pain'd with the pressure of unfriendly hands, 
Sick of smooth looks, agued with icy kindness; 

Left I for this thy shades, where none intrude, 

To prison wandering thought and mar sweet solitude. 

Yet I will look upon thy face again, 
My own romantic Bronx, and it will be 

A face more pleasant than the face of men. 
Thy waves are old companions ; I shall see 

A well-remembered form in each old tree, 

And hear a voice long loved in thy wild minstrelsy. 

Joseph Rodman Drake. 



INTRODUCTION 

THE preparation of this history has taken over a 
decade, during which time I have jotted down 
various facts and incidents as I have run across 
them, either in books, or in the daily press, or in magazines. 
I have kept no account of the sources from which I have 
drawn my facts, so that I can furnish no bibHography. 
The principal sources from which a great deal of the early 
historical matter has been drawn are Bolton's History of 
Westchester County (both editions) and Scharf's History of 
Westchester County. The earlier history of the Borough can 
be found in both these works, if one has plenty of time to 
search for it. 

The facts in regard to railroads I have obtained from the 
reports of the State Engineer, from those of the Railroad 
Commission, from Poor's Manual, and from the officials of 
the several roads of which descriptions are given. I have, 
also, received direct information in regard to churches from 
the pastors and others connected with such institutions. I 
am especially indebted to Father D, P. O'Neil for information 
concerning the Roman Catholic Church. 

Most of the pictures illustrating this book are from actual 
photographs taken by me. Few old prints of the Borough 
exist; but J. Clarence Davies, Esq. has a very fine collection 
of New York prints and pictures which he very kindly placed 
at my disposal for copying. Others have been equally kind 



viii Introduction 

in other matters, and I here wish to thank those who have so 
kindly taken the trouble to answer my inquiries or to give me 
information. 

There are to-day in the old city of New York (the Borough 
of Manhattan) but three pre-Revolutionary structures of a 
public or semi-public character: Fraunces' Tavern, St. Paul's 
Chapel, and the Roger Morris, or " Jumel, " mansion. Within 
the Borough of The Bronx there are still a number of historic 
landmarks. If this book lead to the preservation of but one 
of these, I shall feel that it has not been written in vain. 

Stephen Jenkins. 
Mt. Vernon, New York, 
April, 1912. 



CONTENTS 

PAGE 
CHAPTER 

I.— The Political Formation of the Borough, 

AND ITS Topography . . . . i 

II. — Under the Dutch ..... 24 

III. — Under the Lord Proprietor, 1664-1685 . 45 

IV.^As A Royal Province, 1685-1776 . . 68 

v.— Manners and Customs in Colonial Days 86 

VI. — The Revolution, to September, 1776 . 113 

VII. — ^The Revolution, from September, 1776, to 

November, 1776 ..... 133 

VIII. — The Revolution, from November, 1776, to 

End of War . . . . . 151 

IX. — Ferries and Bridges . . . .177 

X. — Early Means of Communication . . 209 

XI. — Later Means of Communication . . 228 

XII. — The Churches . . . . .251 

ix 



X Contents 




CHAPTER 


PAGE 


XIII. — The Parks and Cemeteries , 


. 289 


XIV. — KiNGSBRIDGE 


. . .325 


XV. — FoRDHAM Manor 


. 342 


XVI. MORRISANIA 


. 358 


XVII.— West Farms . . . . 


. 380 


XVIII. — Westchester . . . . 


. 396 


XIX. — Eastchester AND Pelham 


. 421 


Index . . . . . , 


. 433 



ILLUSTRATIONS 



The Purchase of Keskeskeck, 1639 • • Frontispiece 
After the painting in the Morris High School by E. W. Deming. 
Courtesy of Mr. C. B. J. Snyder. 

Map Showing the Townships Act of March 7, 1788 

Southern Part of the Township of Yonkers, 1867, Made 
into the Township of Kingsbridge, 1874, and Part of 
the Annexed District, 1875 .... 

Map of Morrisania and West Farms 

Southern Part of the Township of Eastchester, 1867 
Annexed to New York City in 1 895 . 

Map of the Township of Westchester, 1867 . 

Southern Part of the Township of Pelham, 1867, Annexed 
in 1895 

Morris High School, Boston Road .... 
From a photograph by Willard R. Pyle. 



Signing the Treaty with the Indians in 1642 at the Home 
of Jonas Bronck ...... 

From the painting by John Ward Dunsmore. Copyright, 1908 
Courtesy of the Title Guarantee and Trust Company. 

The Borough at the End of the Dutch Period 

Map of Brouncksland 

Map of Bronx Neck. Patent of 1676 . 



\^ 



5 
6 

7 
10 

28 

1 
44 

64 
65 



v/" 



u 



xii Illustrations 



At the End of the English Period. [Insert:] Battle- 
field of Pell's Point, Oct. 1 8, 1776 . . . .82 

y 

Facsimiles of New York Colonial Currency . . . 106 

Map Showing British Fortifications. Compiled from the 
Headquarters Map and Showing Principal Streets of 
the Present 126 

The Phcsnix and the Rose in the Engagement with the 
Enemy's Fire-ships and Galleys, on August 16, 1776 130 

From an engraving of the painting by D. Serres, from a sketch 
by Sir John Wallace. 

The Valentine House, Later the Varian Homestead, at 
the Corner of Van Cortlandt Avenue and Woodlawn 
Road 131 

Battle-ground of Pell's Point, Looking West toward the 
First Position of the Americans. Glover's Rock Is 
the Boulder near the Road . . . . -144 

The Battle-ground of Pell's Point, Looking East over the 
Causeway and City Island Road. The View is Taken 
from the Top of the Smaller Boulder . . . 145 " 

The Attack upon the Stockbridge Indians . . .162 
From Simcoe's Military Journal. 

Farmers' Bridge . . . . . . . 188 

Courtesy of the Department of Bridges, New York City. 

Old King's Bridge 189 

Courtesy of the Department of Bridges, New York City. 

The First Harlem Bridge, N. Y., i860 . . . .196 
From Valentine's Manual. 

The Second Harlem, or Third Avenue Bridge. Made of 
Cast-iron, i860 ........ 196 

Courtesy of the Department of Bridges, New York City. 



Illustrations xiii 



The Present Third Avenue, or Harlem Bridge, Opened 
August I, 1898 197 

Courtesy of the Department of Bridges, New York City. 

Kingsbridge 197 

From an old print in the Collection of J. Clarence Davies, Esq. 

Macomb's Dam, Harlem River, 1850 . . . .198 

From Valentine's Manual, i860. 

The Second Macomb's Dam Bridge, 1861 . , . 198 

Courtesy of the Department of Bridges, New York City. 

The Present, or Third Macomb's Dam Bridge, also . 

Called Central Bridge . . . . .199 

Courtesy of the Department of Bridges, New York City. 

High Bridge . . . . . . . . , 199 

Washington Bridge ....... 204 '"' 

Courtesy of the Department of Bridges, New York City. 

Map Showing Principal Old Roads of the Borough . 212 '^^ 

Compiled by the author. 

Old Foot-bridge over Bronx River near Woodlawn . 230 ^ 
From a sketch made in 1881 by W. J. Wilson. 

The Railroad Depot on Fourth Avenue, Corner of 27th 
Street ......... 230 

From Valentine's Matiual, i860. 

St. Peter's, Westchester, 1700 ..... 254 ' 

From a sketch in the vestry of the church. 

The Present Church of St. Peter's, Westchester . . 255 

Saint Ann's Episcopal Church, Morrisania, Saint Ann's 

Avenue and East 140th Street . . . . . 274 '' 



xiv Illustrations 

PAGE 

The Reformed Dutch Church on the Kingsbridge Road, 
Fordham 274 



The Presbyterian Church, East i8oth Street, West Farms 280 



The Roman Catholic Church of Saint Raymond 
Westchester 



Van Cortlandt Park, the Dam and Mill 

The Van Cortlandt Mansion in Van Cortlandt Park 

Curling on the Lake in Van Cortlandt Park . 



281 



294 
294 

300 



Vault Hill, the Ancient Burial-place of the Van Cortlandt 

Family, Van Cortlandt Park . . . . „ 300 ^^ 

Devoe's Lane, Leading to Yonkers and Tuckahoe (1907). 

Indian Field to the Left of the Road . . . . 301 ^ 

The Monument on Indian Field, Van Cortlandt Park . 301 

The Bridge, Bronx Park 304 "^ 

The Lorillard Mansion in Bronx Park .... 304 

The Old Lorillard Snuff-mill, Bronx Park . . • 305 ^ 

The Falls in Bronx Park 305 

The Lower Dam, and the Site of De Lancey's Mills, 

Bronx Park ........ 306 ^ 

The Botanical Museum, Bronx Park .... 306 

The Rocking-stone, Bronx Park 307 ^ 

Bowne House Erected 1730 on Site of Pell's Manor- 
house; near here the British Landed on October 18, 

1776 — Pelham Bay Park 310 



Illustrations xv 

PAGE 

Memorial Tablet on Glover's Rock, Pelham Bay Park . 310 

The " Split Rock" Boulder on the Prospect Hill Road, 

Pelham Bay Park 311 " 

The Tree under which Pell Made his Treaty with the 
Indians and Purchased their Lands (now destroyed) 

— Pelham Bay Park 311 

Camping out on Hunter's Island, Pelham Bay Park . 316 

The Indian Rock Called "Mishow," Hunter's Island, 

Pelham Bay Park . 316 

,-^ 
Pelham Bridge in 1865 .318 

From a sketch by W. J. Wilson. 

Pelham Bridge, over Eastchester Creek, Pelham Bay Park 3 1 9 '^ 

The New Pelham Bridge 319 

The Zbrowski Mansion, Claremont Park . ... 320 "^ 

Poe's Cottage, Fordham 320 

From a photo by A. A. Stoughton, 1885. 

The Farragut Monument in Woodlawn Cemetery . 321 '-■'' 

Mount Saint Vincent de Paul, Font Hill, or " Forrest's 

Castle" 326 

Looking from Spuyten Duyvil Neck toward the Hudson 326 

The Berrien Homestead on Spuyten Duyvil Neck . 327 ^ 

Spuyten Duyvil Neck from near the Station . .327 

Henry Hudson Monument, Spuyten Duyvil Neck. Mr. 
Muschenheim's residence is on the left, and under the 



xvi Illustrations 

PAGE 

first second-story window on the porch side is the 
bronze tablet marking the site of Fort Number One 332 
Courtesy of William C. Muschenheim, Esq. 

Statue of Henry Hudson by Karl Bitter . . . 333 

A View of the King's Bridge ■ Spuyten Duyvil Neck in 
the Background 33^ 

The Godwin, formerly the Macomb House, Kingsbridge 336 

The Montgomery House on Fort Independence Street. 
Home of Captain Richard Montgomery, later, Major- 
General in the Continental Army. — Kingsbridge . 340 

The Former Residence of the Late William Ogden Giles. 
The Terraces Are the Ramparts of Fort Independence, 
Kingsbridge ........ 340 

Webb's Shipbuilding Academy and Home, Fordham 
Heights 344 

The Burial Ground of the Old Dutch Church, formerly 
at Sedgwick Avenue and Fordham Road . . . 344 

The Library and Hall of Fame, New York University . 346 

Boulder Marking the Site of Fort Number Eight on 
the Property of the New York University, Fordham 
Heights 346 

The Archer House, or De Lancey Headquarters, which 
formerly Stood near the Junction of Sedgwick and 
Burnside Avenues . . . . . . . 347 ^ 

Fordham University . . . . . . . 347 

Gouverneur Morris before the Constitutional Conven- 
tion at Philadelphia, 1787 ...... 360 '' 

After the painting by E. W. Deming, in the Morris High School. 
Courtesy of Mr. C. B. J. Snyder. 



Illustrations xvii 

PAGE 

The Gouverneur Morris Mansion. View from the Bronx 

Kills Side 364 -^^ 

Buildings on Randall's Island ..... 364 

Morrisania, about 1861, i6oth Street at the Junction of 

Brook and Third Avenues . . . . . . 365 ' 

From an old print in the Collection of J. Clarence Davies, Esq. 

The Mott Haven Canal 365 

The Lorelei Fountain, or Heinrich Heine Monument, 
Mott Avenue and East 161 st Street, at the Beginning 
of the Concourse . . . . . . -372 

The Cromwell House, near Jerome Avenue, above 
Central Bridge 372 

Bronx Borough Hall Decorated for the Hudson-Fulton 

Celebration, 1909 ....... 376^^ 

Photograph by Joseph F. Hefele. 

De Lancey Mills and Mansion, Westchester . . 377 ^ 

Redrawn by W. J. Wilson from Bolton's History of Westchester 
County. 

The Grave of Joseph Rodman Drake, Hunt's Point . 382 

The Hunt House (1688), or the "Grange," the Resi- 
dence of Joseph Rodman Drake, Hunt's Point . 382 

The De Lancey Pine ....... 392 ^ 

The Soldiers' Monument at West Farms , , . 392 

The Causeway and Bridge, Westchester . . . 398 ^ 

Looking across the Creek (1903), Westchester . . 398 

The Sydney Bowne Store (1903), Westchester . . 399 v 

The Westchester Methodist Episcopal Church, Walker 
Avenue ......... 399 



xviii Illustrations 



PAGE 



"The Black Rock" on Cornell's Neck . . . .402'^ 

Near the Mouth of Pugsley's Creek .... 402 

•The Wilkins Mansion from Clason's Point . . . 408 ^ 

Ferris Grange (1687) on Ferris Avenue, or Old Ferry 
Lane, 1903— Throgg's Neck 408 

The "Spy Oak " on the Pelham Road, Throgg's Neck . 412 "* 

Fort Schuyler, from the Wharf 412 

Cedar of Lebanon, Huntington Estate, Throgg's Neck 416 ^ 

John Williams's House, Williamsbridge, Built about 

1755. Removed in 1903 417 v 

The Husted House, 221st Street near White Plains Road. 
Rear View. — Williamsbridge 417 

The Home of the Pattis in Wakefield .... 420 ^ 

Sketch by W. J. Wilson, 1885. 

The Entrance to the Penfield Estate on the White 
Plains Road . . . . . . . . 420 

Sketch by W. J. Wilson, 1885. 

Seton's Falls, Eastchester 421 

On the Boston Road, Eastchester, "15 Miles to New 
York" 421 

Reid's Mill, Eastchester . . . . . . 424 ^ 

From a water-color by Mrs. Lascelles. 

The Old House near Reid's Mill, about 1665-1670, 
Eastchester ........ 424 

The Gate at the Entrance to the Vincent-Halsey Place, / 

Eastchester 425 



Illustrations xix 



PAGE 



The Vincent-Halsey House, for Several Months the 
Executive Mansion of President John Adams, East- 
chester 425 

The Marshall House on Rodman's Neck, the type of 

Mansion Erected in this Section before 1850 . . 426 ^^ 

E. C. Cooper's Plan of Salt Works at City Island (1835) 426 

From an old print in the New York Historical Society, 

The Old City Island Bridge 427 

Courtesy of the Department of Bridges, New York City. 

The New City Island Bridge ..... 427 

Courtesy of the Department of Bridges, New York City. 

The " Macedonian Hotel," City Island . . . 430 

Map of Bronx Borough . . . . . At End 



The Story of the 
Borough of The Bronx 



CHAPTER I 



THE POLITICAL FORMATION OF THE BOROUGH, AND ITS 
TOPOGRAPHY 



T 



"^HE city of New York is divided for administrative 
purposes into five boroughs : Manhattan, the original 
city of New York upon the island of Manhattan; 
Brooklyn, the old city of that name in the county of Kings; 
Queens, in the county of the same name, adjoining Brooklyn; 
Richmond, or Staten Island; The Bronx, the Borough lying 
north of the Harlem River. 

November i, 1683, the county of Westchester was formed. 
Its western boundary was the Hudson River; its northern, 
Dutchess (now Putnam) County ; its eastern, the Connecticut 
Colony and Long Island Sound; its southern, the East and 
Harlem rivers and Spuyten Duyvil Creek. The Borough 
of The Bronx was included within the county of Westchester 
until 1874 for the western part of the Borough, and until 
1895 for the eastern part. Its history is until these dates that 



2 The Story of The Bronx 

of the county. The county also included the islands contigu- 
ous to its shores. 

By act of the State Legislature, March 7, 1788, all the 
counties were divided into townships. There were twenty-one 
of these in Westchester County, following very closely the 
lines of the ancient manors and patents. The section under 
consideration was formerly within the towns of Yonkers, 
Morrisania, Eastchester, Pelham, and Westchester. 

Yonkers was a part of the Philipsburgh Manor, sequestrated 
by the State in 1779, on account of the disloyalty of its owner, 
Colonel Frederick Philipse. The part of the township within 
the Borough was known as Lower Yonkers ; and it remained 
a part of the original township until June i, 1872, when the 
city of Yonkers was incorporated. At the same time, the por- 
tion of the township lying south of a line drawn from the 
northwest corner of the land belonging to the Sisters of Charity, 
known as St. Vincent de Paul, due east to the Bronx River, 
was set off as a new township under the name of Kingsbridge. 
It remained a part of the Yonkers township until December 
sixteenth of the same year, when the selection of town officers 
was perfected. Its northern boundary was the line given 
above, from the Hudson River to the Bronx ; its southern, 
the northern line of the ancient manor of Fordham, from the 
Harlem River at East 230th Street to a point on the Bronx 
River between First and Second avenues, Williamsbridge, 
and Spuyten Duyvil Creek; its western, the Hudson River. 

Morrisania was the most sparsely settled section of the 
whole county; and why it should have been made into a 

» By the National Census of 1790, the names of thirteen heads of families 
are given, with one hundred and three free persons and thirty slaves, of 
whom seventeen belonged to Lewis Morris, the manor-lord, and five to 
James Graham. 




Southern Part of the Township of Yonkers, 1867, Made into the Township of Kingsbridgd 

and Part of the Annexed District, 1875. 



Political Formation and Topography 3 

township is not clear, unless it was by reason of the influ- 
ence and prominence of its owner, Lewis Morris, the signer 
of the Declaration of Independence. The new Constitutional 
government had gone into effect in New York in 1789, but 
the site of the permanent capital of the nation was a matter 
of considerable discussion. Morris believed his manor to 
be an ideal spot for it; hence, its formation into a township. 
On October i, 1790, the Congress in session at New York 
was to determine the location of the new capital, and Morris 
memorialized it in favor of Morrisania. 
He states: 

"that the said manor is more advantageously situated for 
their [Congress's] residence than any other place that has 
hitherto been proposed to them, and much better accom- 
modated with the necessary requisites of convenience of 
access, health, and security"; "that vessels from the four 
Eastern States may arrive at Morrisania through the Sound, 
in the course of a few hours, and that ships from the Carolinas 
and Georgia may perform voyages to Morrisania with much 
more safety and dispatch than they can to the ports of Phila- 
delphia and Annapolis, not being incommoded with tedious 
passages of two hundred miles each up Bays and Rivers which 
often consume a fortnight or three weeks — passages rendered 
hazardous by rocks and shoals, and annually obstructed by 
ice"; "that Morrisania is so situated that vessels may arrive 
from, or proceed to sea, sometimes in six hours . . . and that 
this passage, from the quantity and saltness of the water, has 
never been totally impeded by ice"; "that Morrisania has 
always been noted for this particular [health and salubrity], 
that the fever and ague is unknown, and that persons from 
other places, emaciated by sickness and disease, there shortly 
recover and are speedily reinforced in health and vigor"; 
and further, "that Morrisania is perfectly secure from any 
dangers either from foreign invasion or internal insurrection"; 



4 The Story of The Bronx 

"that Morrisania being distant only twenty miles from the 
State of Connecticut, and eight miles from the City of New 
York, that it therefore can be amply protected by the hardy 
sons of New England on the one side and the inhabitants of 
the populous City of New York on the other ; that as the chief 
defence of this country in future must be by its militia . . . 
there are more fighting men within a sweep of thirty miles 
around Morrisania than perhaps within the same distance 
around any other place in America, as there are many popu- 
lous places which contain large proportions of inhabitants 
who are principled by religion against bearing arms, ' and other 
places which contain negro inhabitants who not only do not 
fight themselves, but by keeping their masters at home, 
prevent them from fighting also. "^ 

As a real-estate broker, Morris was not a success, and the 
capital went to the banks of the Potomac; while by act of 
the Legislature of February 2, 1791, Morrisania ceased to be a 
separate township and became a part of the township of West- 
chester, and later, of West Farms ; it remained so until Decem- 
ber 7, 1855, when it again became a separate township. 
Previous to 1848, there were few settlers; but the revolutions 
that occurred in Europe at that time sent a stream of immi- 
grants to the land of liberty; and many of them settled in 
Morrisania, converting its fields and farms into thriving, 
active villages, and giving it that Teutonic appearance of 
names and occupations which it maintained for forty years 
afterwards, and which has not yet wholly disappeared under 
the later Celtic, ItaHan, and Semitic invasions. 

The bounds of the township at both creations, 1788 and 

^Friends, or Quakers. 

* This was probably the belief of the slaveholders themselves. That it 
had but little basis in fact is shown during the Civil War by the loyalty 
of the southern slaves during the absences of their masters from 186 1 
to 1865. 








X -'^ M 






/ . 







>V^A»t) 4 



\ •■ 



-y-' 






..J 



ARj^v 



■■ ( 



„ . >>- 



-I ft 





^ 



M' 




. .^ 



/ 



Map of Morrisania and West Farms. 



Political Formation and Topography 5 

1855. were the same as those of the ancient manor. The 
northerly line, which was also the southerly line of Fordham 
Manor, began at the Harlem River immediately south of the 
present High Bridge, and extended east to Union Avenue 
between East 170th and 1 71st streets; its eastern boundary 
was practically Union Avenue to Bungay Creek (Intervale 
Avenue) , which it followed to the East River ; its other boun- 
daries were the East River, Bronx Kills, and Harlem River. 

The township of Eastchester (1788) had for its western 
boundary the Bronx River; on the north, Scarsdale; on the 
east, Hutchinson's River; on the south, Black Dog Brook and 
a line drawn from the head of the brook on the line of 229th 
Street to the Bronx River. When the city of Mount Vernon 
was incorporated in 1892, the township of Eastchester was 
divided into two parts, entirely separated from each other by 
the newly formed, intervening city. The southern piece was 
the smaller ; and when the question of annexation was submit- 
ted to the people in 1894, the inhabitants voted to be taken 
into the city of New York. 

Pelham township was what remained of Pelham Manor; 
it was triangular in form. New Rochelle being its base or 
northerly line, and the two sides being the Sound and Hut- 
chinson's River. It also included Hunter, Twin, Hart, High, 
and City islands. The portion taken for the city of New 
York is almost entirely within Pelham Bay Park. The part 
annexed to New York was the ancient Annes Hoeck, or 
Pell's Neck, and Rodman's Neck, as well as the islands men- 
tioned above. 

The township of Westchester (1788) included all the rest 
of the land now within the limits of the Borough ; the ancient 
manor of Fordham, the West Farms tract, and all the land be- 
tween the Hutchinson River, the Bronx River, and the Sound, 



6 The Story of The Bronx 

with a northerly boundary at the Eastchester line from Black 
Dog Brook to the Bronx River. This included about one 
half the Borough. The town was further increased by the 
accession of Morrisania, February 22, 179 1. It remained 
intact until May 13, 1846, when the township of West Farms 
was formed out of its territory. 

West Farms (1846) comprised all the land west of the Bronx 
River as far as the Harlem River, lying south of Yonkers, 
until December 7, 1855, when the township of Morrisania was 
once more formed from its territory. It thus included the 
manors of Morrisania and Fordham and the West Farms 
patent of 1663. 

The annexation of a part of Westchester County to the city 
of New York was a question that arose long before any formal 
action was taken by the authorities. As early as 1864, it 
was proposed to unite the townships of Morrisania and West 
Farms under a special city charter; but the objections of the 
inhabitants of West Farms defeated the project. In 1869, 
one of the Tweed members of the Legislature from Mount 
Vernon proposed the annexation of a large portion of the 
county to the city; but as the action was taken without any 
reference to the wishes of the inhabitants or their immediate 
representative, Senator Cauldwell, he arose in his place and 
announced that, in a few days, he would introduce a bill 
"to annex the city of New York to Morrisania," a piece of 
sarcasm which defeated the movement at that time. Yet 
Senator Cauldwell was, later, one of the foremost in advocating 
annexation and in bringing it about. 

In the autumn of 1872, the people of West Farms and Mor- 
risania came together ; and the following year, the bill referring 
the question of annexation to the people was enacted. Owing 
to disputes among the officials, the bill provided that the 



Hin LLM-; 



. . ^OlJXMIIJ 






O I S Xjt^N" 3 




^ \ 



^t- 



Wr I I I I 



■■-'- r -■■ 



Map of the Township of Westchester, 1867, 




Southern Part of the Township of Pelham, 1867, Annexed in 1895. 



Political Formation and Topography 7 

streets should be placed under the Park Department, a scheme 
that worked more harm than good to the newly annexed 
district until the streets were put under a special Department 
of Street Improvements of the Twenty-third and Twenty- 
fourth wards, January i, 1891. 

On January i, 1874, by act of the Legislature mentioned 
above, the townships of Kingsbridge, West Farms, and Mor- 
risania became a part of the (old) city of New York, and were 
formed into the Twenty-third and Twenty-fourth wards. 
The new wards were also spoken of as the Annexed District ; 
they constitute that part of the Borough lying west of the 
Bronx River and comprise 12,317 acres. 

At the election of November 6, 1894, the question of the 
Greater New York was submitted to the inhabitants of the 
localities affected, including Westchester, Eastchester, Pel- 
ham, and the city of Mount Vernon. The result of the referen- 
dum showed good majorities for annexation in Eastchester 
and Pelham, while Mount Vernon and Westchester voted 
against, the former by a large majority, and the latter by a 
majority of one. The adverse majority in Westchester was 
so small that it was ignored by the annexationists; and July 
I, 1895, the whole section east of the Bronx River became a 
part of the city of New York, forming part of the Twenty- 
fourth Ward. It comprises nearly 14,000 acres, making the 
total area taken from Westchester County by the two annexa- 
tions 26,017 acres, or about 39! square miles. 

January i, 1898, the charter of the Greater New York went 
into effect, and the whole annexed section north of the Harlem 
River became officially known as the Borough of The Bronx, ' 

^ The question is often asked: "Why the Borough of The Bronx?" 
For the same reason that we speak of the Anny of the Potomac, the valley 
of the Hudson, etc. — all taking their names from rivers, to which it is 
customary to prefix the article. 



8 The Story of The Bronx 

though united in educational and some other official matters 
with the Borough of Manhattan. 

January i, 1902, the revised charter of the Greater New 
York went into effect. It gives a certain amount of autonomy 
to the different boroughs, especially in the matter of local 
improvements, though many acts of the local boards are 
subject to the Board of Aldermen or Board of Estimate and 
Apportionment, or both, when the outlay authorized by the 
local board exceeds two thousand dollars. The local boards 
of The Bronx are composed of the Borough president and 
the aldermen of the local improvement districts. There 
are four such districts in the Borough; the Twenty- 
second, or Morrisania; the Twenty- third, or Chester; the 
Twenty-fourth, or Crotona; and the Twenty-fifth, or Van 
Courtlandt. 

When the two annexations took place, the sections ceased 
to be parts of Westchester County and became parts of New 
York County. In the matter of congressional, senate, as- 
sembly, and judicial representation, however, portions of the 
Borough were at first attached to Westchester County; 
though there is now separation. The Borough constitutes 
the eighteenth congressional district ; but on the basis of popu- 
lation as shown by the last Federal Census, it is entitled to 
two congressmen. There are eight aldermanic districts, 
and four local school districts, each having its own board. 
The Borough is allowed two municipal courts where civil 
cases may be tried in which the value in controversy does not 
exceed two hundred and fifty dollars. There are also two 
police magistrate's courts for the settlement of minor cases of 
crimes and misdemeanors and for preliminary hearings in 
cases of felony. For police protection, the Borough is divided 
into nine precincts with 756 men. For protection from fire, 



Political Formation and Topography 9 

there are twenty engines and nine hook and ladder trucks, 
while in the Harlem River is stationed a fire tug. There are 
fifty public elementary schools and the Gouverneur Morris 
High School on the Boston Road, while, owing to the rapidly 
increasing population, new sites are being selected and build- 
ings erected, though not half fast enough to keep up with the 
growth of school population. Most of these school buildings 
are modern in every respect; and while built for utiHtarian 
purposes, the assthetic side has not been neglected; and, as 
the sites are often on high ground, these fine examples of 
school architecture tower above their neighbors and attract 
the attention of the wayfarer. 

Many of the natural features of the Borough are rapidly 
disappearing before the march of modern improvements; 
and the authorities are filling in creeks, swamps, and lowlands, 
laying out and grading streets, and establishing water mains 
and sewers for the immense population of the future. In the 
spring of 1903, a plan of opening and grading 420 miles of 
streets in the district east of the Bronx River was submitted 
to the Board of Estimate and approved by them on May 29, 
1903. In this plan, ample provision is made for several small 
parks and for a larger one at Seton's Falls; but little or no 
attention is paid to the preservation of old landmarks, except 
in the way of some of the more prominent of the ancient 
highways. 

By the Federal Census of 1900, the Borough had a popula- 
tion of 200,507; and by the Census of 1910, a population of 
430,980, an increase of nearly 115 per cent., more than that 
of any other borough of the city. The great increase in 
population and the consequent erection of buildings to accom- 
modate the inhabitants, with the transfers of property and 
other matters of record in relation to real estate, became so 



10 The Story of The Bronx 

great in volume that, on April 28, 1903, a committee was 
appointed by the North Side Board of Trade to bring before 
the State Legislature the formation of a new county to be called 
Bronx County. In January following, a bill to form such a 
county was introduced, but it failed to pass. It was intro- 
duced in every subsequent Legislature, but it was defeated, so 
it is stated, because, if such a county were created, Tammany 
and the other political machines would lose their power in 
the Borough. Extraordinary meetings and agitations took 
place in the autumn of 191 1, with the result that an act passed 
by the Legislature of 1 912 authorizes the formation of Bronx 
County, the matter to be decided by a referendum to the voters 
of the Borough at the election of November, 1912.' 

The construction and opening of the subway in 1904 caused 
a great boom in real estate ; and the operations have run into 
many millions of dollars, as many farm lands and estates have 
been brought into the market and have found ready purchasers 
for actual building. 

On January 16, 1904, the Bronx Free Library, which had 
been in existence for several years, surrendered its separate 
existence to the New York Library, and thus brought itself 
within the scope of the Carnegie Library Fund ; and, in conse- 
quence, the corner-stone of a new building was laid on January 
21, 1904, at Washington Avenue and East 176th Street. 
Other branches of the New York Public Library are located 
in Morrisania, Mott Haven, Highbridgeville, and Kingsbridge. 

^ The author is not a believer in the idea that you can make people rich 
by taking money away from them; and he thinks that, if the new county 
be formed, it will be due to local pride, and to the active efforts of an 
energetic minority of contractors and poHticians, whose eyes are fastened 
upon the annual expenditure of several millions (to be taken from the 
taxpayers) for the salaries of county officials and the erection of county 
buildings. 



m"^ 







f^ 



fp 






Political Formation and Topography ii 

The only regular military organization in the Borough is 
the Second Battery of the State National Guard, which 
prides itself on being the pioneer company of the Borough. 
It was organized February 4, 1833, in the city of New York 
and moved to temporary quarters on Bathgate Avenue near 
East 177th Street on October 25, 1902. It occupied its new 
armory on Franklin Avenue and East i66th Street on June i, 
1910. The ground and building cost ^57,200. The battery, 
which is now officially Battery A, First Battalion, Field 
Artillery, N. G., N. Y., consists of six officers and one hundred 
and eleven men. The battery is equipped with four three- 
inch breech-loading field guns, four Colt rapid-firing guns, and 
four Gatling guns. In addition, there are forty-four horses, 
the property of the battery, and the necessary equipment 
of harness, small arms, caissons, etc. 

One of the most important factors in the development of 
the Borough on its commercial and sociological sides has been 
the North Side Board of Trade. This is composed of the 
leading business and professional men of the Borough, and 
those having business or other interests there. The society 
was organized March 6, 1894; ^^^ since that time it has been 
untiring in its efforts to arouse a proper public spirit and pride 
in the Borough and in disseminating information about it, 
so as to attract manufacturing and other enterprises and a 
superior class of residents. That this has been successfully 
done is shown in the large number of commercial enter- 
prises, the increase in traffic facilities, and the doubling 
of the population within the last decade. On Saturday, 
October 28, 191 1, the corner-stone of the new North Side 
Board of Trade building was laid by Mayor Gaynor with 
appropriate ceremonies. The building is located at Third 
and Lincoln avenues and East 137th Street. When fin- 



12 The Story of The Bronx 

ished, it will be one of the most beautiful buildings in the 
Borough. 

Two other organizations, the Bronx Society of Arts and 
Sciences, founded in 1904, and the Bronx Beautiful Society, 
founded in January, 1912, have been established for the 
development of the Borough on its intellectual and esthetic 
sides. 

Besides the Seton Hospital and the Home for Incurables, 
mentioned elsewhere, there are six great hospitals within 
the Borough. Fordham Hospital, under the Department of 
Charities, was established in 1882 at Valentine Avenue and 
1 88th Street, whence it removed to the old Eden mansion at 
Aqueduct Avenue and 190th Street. Since May i, 1907, it 
has occupied the new building at Crotona Avenue and South- 
ern Boulevard, not far from the Bronx "Zoo," a location 
which will always be of the best, as it is surrounded by open, 
public park spaces, and it will never have its air and light cut 
off, nor fail to receive a supply of clear, pure air. Another 
city hospital is Riverside, situated on North Brother Island, 
where contagious and infectious diseases are taken care of. 
There are accommodations for five hundred patients. 

Lincoln Hospital is situated at East 141st Street and 
Southern Boulevard. It was originally incorporated in 1845 
under the name of the Colored Home, and was located at 
65th Street and First Avenue, Manhattan, until September 7, 
1898, when it was moved to its present site into the new 
buildings especially erected. The name was changed to 
Lincoln Hospital and Home in i86o. No color line is drawn 
in the hospital service, but the training school for nurses 
attached to the institution is restricted to colored women. 
The institution is maintained principally by subscriptions 
and donations, though it also receives aid from the city. 



Political Formation and Topography 13 

Lebanon Hospital, located at Cauldwell and Westchester 
avenues, upon the site formerly occupied by the Ursuline 
Convent, was incorporated by a number of Jewish citizens in 
1 890. The present building was occupied in 1 892 ; and there 
are two hundred and fifty beds, four ambulances, and a full 
complement of surgeons and nurses. From its central location 
in a thickly settled neighborhood, it is probably the busiest 
of the Bronx hospitals, as it makes no distinction as to religion 
in its services. Its name is almost invariably mispronounced, 
and it is called Le-ban-on by the people of the vicinity. It 
is supported by subscriptions and donations, and also by help 
from the city. 

St. Francis's Hospital is in charge of the Sisters of the Poor 
of St. Francis, and is situated between Brook and St. Ann's 
avenues and I42d and 143d streets. It has been located 
here since 1906, and is a splendid up-to-date institution with 
over four hundred beds. It treats patients of every and all 
creeds, colors, and nationalities; and for its treatment of non- 
paying poor, it receives pay from the city. 

St. Joseph's Hospital, under Sisters of the same order, is 
situated on the block above St. Francis's; but its doors, while 
open to all creeds and nationalities, are closed to all cases 
except those of consumption, all stages of which are taken care 
of. There are five hundred beds, over four hundred of which 
are free to the poor, of whom there were 21 11 treated from 
October i, 1910 to September 30, 191 1. The hospital was 
opened here on January i, 1889; and it is maintairied by 
private subscriptions and donations, though the city helps 
for the care of poor patients. 

Union Hospital was started in the spring of 191 1 for the 
treatment of all ailments, and for general hospital work. It 
occupies the Eden mansion, the former home of Fordham 



14 The Story of The Bronx 

Hospital. It is backed by the Episcopal Church and by a 
number of the leading physicians of the Borough. 

The surface of the Borough is such as to present all varieties 
of scenery ; and in its wild state it must have shown scenes of 
surpassing rural and sylvan beauty. In fact, even to-day, 
one is pleased with the vistas of hills and streams in the more 
sparsely settled parts. 

The elevated portions of the Borough are continuations of 
the ranges of hills of Westchester County and, speaking gener- 
ally, run north and south, parallel to the Hudson. The val- 
leys between are occupied by streams flowing to the southward 
and are comparatively level, so that they became the way of 
the earlier roads, and later, of the railroads. These elevations 
rise to a height of two hundred feet in many places, and do 
not fall below a hundred, except in the slopes to the valleys. 
The westernmost ridge extends from Yonkers to Spuyten 
Duyvil Creek through Mount St. Vincent, Riverdale, and 
Hudson Park. In Riverdale is the highest elevation in the 
Borough, 282 feet. This ridge has a sharp descent to the 
Hudson, and presents a bold frontage when viewed from that 
stream. The streams emptying into the Hudson are few and 
short; the longest being Dogwood Brook near West 247th 
Street. On the east, the slope is almost equally abrupt to 
the valley of Tippett's Brook. The lower part of this valley 
is fiat, meadow land, reaching, in places, over half a mile in 
width. At its southern end is a rocky islet in this sea of 
meadow, upon which the principal part of the former village 
of Kingsbridge is situated; in ancient times, it was the core of 
the island of Paparinemo, or Paparinemin. 

The second ridge extends from the Yonkers line to Central 
Bridge, and is the dividing line between Tippett's Brook and 



Political Formation and Topography 15 

the Harlem River on the west and the Bronx River, Cromwell's 
Creek, and Mill Brook on the east. It presents a bold front 
to the Harlem River all the way from Kingsbridge to Central 
Bridge. Its southern terminus is known as Devoe's Point, 
after one of the earlier proprietors, a descendant of the original 
patentee, Daniel Tumeur. This ridge is known as the Ford- 
ham Ridge; its northern portion is called Woodlawn Heights. 
Several brooks find their way down the easterly slope into the 
Bronx River. The valley between Fordham Ridge and the 
ridge on the easterly side of the Bronx valley is wide at its 
southern part, allowing of several minor ridges forming the 
valley of Mill Brook. 

The ridge forming the eastern side of the Bronx valley has 
a considerable elevation at Wakefield and Williamsbridge, but 
it falls away gradually toward the shores of the East River 
and the Sound, so that they present in general the appearance 
of low, salt meadows, which, at unusual high tides, are awash. 
Castle Hill Neck below Unionport is an elevation of sixty feet, 
separating Pugsley's and Westchester creeks. To the east- 
ward of Westchester Creek is Throgg's Neck, which does not 
rise higher than fifty feet. Before the Westchester meadows 
were filled in, Eastchester Bay, the Sound, and Westchester 
Creek virtually used to make an island of Throgg's Neck at 
high tides. 

Tippett's Brook has its rise near Valentine's Hill in Yonkers 
and empties into Spuyten Duyvil Creek, almost equally 
dividing the former township of Kingsbridge. Its Indian 
name was Mosholu. Just below High Bridge, there was 
formerly a small stream emptying into the Harlem River, 
which constituted the northern boundary of Tumeur's patent; 
it has disappeared under modem improvements. A consider- 
able extent of wet meadow lines the shore of the Harlem River 



1 6 The Story of The Bronx 

below the Fordham Ridge. Below High Bridge, this meadow 
formerly constituted Crab, or " Crabbe, " Island of the ancient 
records. Cromwell's Creek had its origin about East 178th 
Street and Jerome Avenue and emptied into the Harlem River 
south of Central Bridge, but the stream has been filled in. 
Jerome Avenue follows the valley of the old stream for a 
considerable distance. 

Mill Brook was an important watercourse in former days, 
and it about equally divided the ancient manor of Morrisania. 
It had its rise near East 170th Street, between Claremont and 
Crotona parks, and emptied into the East River near the 
manor-house. In the improvements in the decade before 
1900, the stream disappeared within a great sewer under 
Brook Avenue, which follows approximately the bed of the 
old stream. 

Bungay Creek was composed of two branches rising in 
Crotona Park and uniting at East 170th Street, whence it 
flowed into the East River above Port Morris. Intervale 
Avenue foUows very closely the course of the old stream. 
From its crossing at Westchester Avenue to the river, it formed 
the boundary between the manor of Morrisania and the West 
Farms patent of Richardson and Jessup. 

The next stream to the eastward is the longest and most 
important of all — the Bronx, — which has given its name to 
the Borough. It has its origin in the distant hills of North 
Castle and flows into the East River after a course of more 
than thirty miles. Its Indian name was Aquahung, "a high 
bluff or bank"; but it derives its present name from the first 
white owner of the soil, Jonas Bronk. It is navigable for 
small vessels for about three miles from its mouth. It was a 
very important stream during the Revolution as, during the 
Westchester campaign of 1776, it constituted a barrier between 



Political Formation and Topography 17 

the armies of Washington and Howe. There is a tradition 
that Admiral Lord Howe impressed some Americans familiar 
with the locality to pilot his ships up the Bronx in order to 
bombard Washington out of his entrenched camps on the west 
of the stream. We can imagine a 74-gun ship-of-the-line 
attempting to sail up the beautiful, romantic, but shallow 
stream ! 

In the year 1798, a scourge of yellow fever visited the city 
of New York, and, after its subsidence, the question was 
agitated of furnishing the inhabitants with an abundant supply 
of pure, fresh water. The Bronx seemed to the authorities 
to have been provided by nature for the purpose, and an 
engineer was sent to survey it and plan for its use; but upon 
his report that the project would cost the city $1,000,000, 
the corporation withdrew on account of the expense. Aaron 
Burr, who was at this time, 1799, forming his Manhattan 
Company, also probably helped them to an adverse decision 
by holding out the hope of supplying the city with water 
under the charter of his company. Until the Croton River 
was selected as the source of New York's water supply, the 
Bronx was the favorite with the authorities and engineers, 
commending itself on account of the purity of its waters, its 
nearness to the city, the feasibility of damming its waters 
at WilHamsbridge, and, especially, on the score of economy. 
Its waters were impounded for the use of the Annexed District 
in 1888 by building a dam at Kensico, above White Plains. 

The Bronx of to-day still retains many of the beauties that 
inspired the pen of Drake; but, alas! its waters are no longer 
pure and crystalline. What is to be done with it is a question 
that has been discussed between the engineers of New York 
and those of Westchester County; but when we see the river 
converted into a lake after a spring thaw or a heavy rain, we 



1 8 The Story of The Bronx 

can believe the engineers have a problem to solve much more 
difficult than that of the Mill Brook and other smaller streams. 
The Legislature of 1907 directed the Governor to appoint a 
commission to lay out a parkway along the entire length of 
the river from Kensico to West Farms and to condemn land 
for the same. The commission was appointed in July, 1907. 
If the proposed plans are carried out, about 125 acres will be 
taken in the Borough and about 900 in Westchester County, 
and a reservation will be formed varying from 300 to 1000 
feet on both sides of the stream. This will be made into a 
pubUc park and drive. The primary object of the park is 
to prevent further pollution of the river. A series of dams 
will also be constructed, with the purpose of making the stream 
navigable for small boats of all kinds throughout its whole 
length. 

The land near the mouth of the Bronx and beyond is low, 
salt meadow, interspersed by small tidal streams. The most 
important of these is Wilkins's, or Pugsley's, Creek, which 
forms the landward boundary of Cornell's Neck. Between 
this creek and Westchester Creek is Castle Hill Neck, so called 
because the Weckquaesgeek Indians had a large castle, or 
stockade, on the high land between the creeks. On the south 
side of Throgg's Neck is Baxter's Creek, and on the north 
side, Weir Creek. Throgg's Neck on the Borough side, and 
Willett's Point on the Long Island, or Queen's Borough, 
side are the separating points between the East River and 
the Sound. 

Eastchester Bay is an estuary between Throgg's Neck on 
the south and City Island and Rodman's Neck on the north. 
At its head, Eastchester Creek, or Hutchinson's River, 
empties after its course of eight miles from Scarsdale. The 
Indian name of the stream was Aqueannoncke, or Aque- 



Political Formation and Topography 19 

anouncke, a variant of Aquahung. Its lower portion is a 
tidal stream, whose depth and course have been changed by 
the Federal Government, so that it is navigable to the city 
line. Black Dog Brook, the former Eastchester boundary 
line, flows into Eastchester Creek at Baychester, while a short 
distance above is Rattlesnake Brook, whose mouth is called 
Mill Creek, from the old tide mill (Reid's) which was located 
there. Between Rodman's Neck and Hunter Island is 
Pelham Bay. 

The islands in the Borough included Paparinemo and 
Crab, both of which have disappeared. Lying in the East 
River, a short distance above Port Morris, are North and 
South Brother islands, called by the Dutch Gesellen. The 
former has a light-house on it and is used by the city govern- 
ment for hospital cases of infectious and contagious diseases. 
Riker's Island is much larger and lies toward the mouth of 
Flushing Bay, Long Island. This island, as well as several 
of the others, was used during the Civil War for the encamp- 
ment and drilling of recruits, and also for hospital purposes. 
It was bought by the city in 1884, and for some time was 
used as a dumping ground for the refuse of the city, much to 
the disgust of the inhabitants of the Borough who found it 
almost impossible to breathe when the wind blew from the 
water. The Board of Health finally stopped the nuisance, 
which was endangering the health of the people. The island 
is still used for city refuse, but incineration plants have been 
installed and no odor is perceptible except when close to the 
island. Riker's Island originally contained eighty-seven 
acres, but extensive crib work has been constructed and the 
work of filling in continued, so that when completed the 
island will contain four hundred acres to be used for municipal 
purposes. The work has been done by the prisoners from 



20 The Story of The Bronx 

Blackwell's Island; and the first batch of prisoners, 150 in 
number, was transferred to the island June 21, 1903. All 
the work-house prisoners have since been transferred. A light- 
house on Riker's Island helps to mark the navigation of the 
East River. 

Between Throgg's Neck and Long Island are several rocky- 
islets visible at low tide, which are called the "Stepping- 
stones"; on one of them is a light-house. 

City Island, comprising 230 acres, lies off Rodman's Neck 
on the northerly side of Eastchester Bay, and is a long, narrow 
strip only a few feet above the waters of the Sound. Hart 
Island, of eighty-five acres, lies to the eastward of City Island. 
In 1774, Oliver De Lancey of West Farms came into posses- 
sion of it. It was then called "Spectacle" Island, or "Little 
Minnefords. " Later, it passed into the possession of the 
Haights and Rodmans, then into the hands of John Hunter, 
and finally into the hands of the city of New York, which 
maintains there a potter's field, a hospital for convalescents, 
and a work-house under the Department of Charities. High 
Island lies north of City Island, and in the vicinity of these 
larger islands are several rocky islets called Rat Island, the 
Chimney Sweeps, and the Blauzes. Bolton says that this 
section was formerly the resort of immense numbers of wild 
ducks, as many as one thousand being shot in six hours. 
To-day, when there is bad weather in the Sound, many vessels 
of all kinds seek refuge under the lee of the islands until the 
weather improves and they can resume their interrupted 
voyages. Goose Island is a small island lying in the mouth 
of Eastchester Creek, Hunter and Twin islands will be con- 
sidered under the chapter on Parks. 

■.The southern extremity of the Riverdale Ridge is called 
Spuyten Duyvil Neck. The fourth proprietor was George 



Political Formation and Topography 21 

Tibbett, or Tippett, whose house was near the end of the point ; 
in consequence, the neck was knOwn in ancient times as Tip- 
pett's Neck, or Tibbett's Hill. The neck passed into the 
hands of the Berriens by the marriage of one of them with 
Dorcas, the great-great-granddaughter of the original Tip- 
pett; and after the Revolution and until the present, the pro- 
montory has been known as Berrien's Neck. The Manhattan 
tribe of Indians had an important village and castle called 
Nipnichsen, "a small pond or watering-place," upon the 
point, to which, and to the section adjoining, they applied 
the name of Shorackkappock, or Shorakapkock, which means 
"as far as the sitting-down place," a reference, perhaps, to 
the fact that the traveller had to sit down and wait for the 
tide to fall at the wading-place across the creek. 

Port Morris is situated upon a neck of land jutting into the 
East River. It was originally called Stony Point, or, since 
it was low land sometimes surrounded by water at high tide, 
Stony Island. This section has been filled in by the city, 
sewers built, and streets laid out ; and several large factories 
have been erected by private parties. It was formerly a 
part of the manor of Morrisania; and the Morrises counted 
on making it a rival to New York on account of the depth of 
water and the convenience of access for large vessels, the 
Great Eastern having actually anchored off the point. In 
fact. Port Morris was for several years a regular port of entry 
with its own custom-house. 

The idea of making it an important port has not been 
abandoned, and numerous plans have been advanced from 
time to time. One of these is the subject of a pamphlet 
entitled The World's Great Highway. The scheme will be 
understood from the following, taken from the inside 
cover: 



22 The Story of The Bronx 

"The World's Great Continental Route! 

IN THIRTEEN DAYS EASILY, 

From Europe — by Port Morris — to San Francisco. 

Time and Money saved ! Comfort increased ! 
From San Francisco — by Port Morris — to Europe, 

EASILY IN THIRTEEN DAYS, 

And can be done in twelve and a half Days. 
Two hours at Port Morris." 

This plan is fathered by Charles Stoughton under date of 
November 4, 1877. 

Adjoining Port Morris on the east, is Oak Point, formerly 
called Leggett's Point, from a family of the name who owned 
it from pre-Revolutionary days. Gabriel Leggett, the founder 
of the family, married into the Richardson family and thus 
came into possession of this part of the West Farms tract. 

The neck to the west of the Bronx River is called Hunt's 
Point, after the proprietor of 1688. It really consists of two 
points, the more westerly one being called Barretto's Point, 
after Francis Barretto, a wealthy New York merchant who 
settled here about 1840. The Indian name of Hunt's Point 
was Quinnahung, which means "a long, high place." 

The neck between the Bronx River and Wilkins's Creek is 
known as Cornell's Neck, after the proprietor of 1646. Its 
extremity is called Clason's Point, after a later owner. Its 
Indian name was Snakapins, probably a personal name, or, 
perhaps, a corruption of Sagapin, a ground nut, or of Chinca- 
pin, the dwarf chestnut. Castle Hill Neck is the next point 
to the eastward. On the eastern side of Westchester Creek 
is Ferris Neck, so called after the family who owned it; its 
extremity is called "Old Ferry Point," from the ferry that 



Political Formation and Topography 23 

connected it with Whitestone, Long Island, from ancient 
times. Throgg's Neck is the long, narrow point upon which 
Fort Schuyler is situated. It gets its name from the original 
proprietor of 1643, John Throgmorton, or Throckmorton. 
Upon its northerly side is Locust Point, or Island. 

Between the Sound on the north and Eastchester Bay on 
the south is the largest of all the necks in the Borough. From 
its first white inhabitant, the famous Anne Hutchinson, 
it was called by the Dutch Annes Hoeck (i.e., Ann's Neck). 
Later, when Thomas Pell became proprietor of this whole 
section, the neck was called Pell's Neck, or Point; and after 
the formation of the manor, Pelham Neck. A later manor- 
lord sold to Samuel Rodman the end of the neck opposite 
City Island, and hence we have the name by which it is 
known to-day, Rodman's Neck. 



CHAPTER II 

UNDER THE DUTCH 

IN the years 1497 and 1498, the two Venetians, John and 
Sebastian Cabot, father and son, visited the shores of 
North America by authority of the King of England, 
Henry VII. It was during the voyage of Sebastian in 1498, 
that the explorations were carried as far south as the Capes 
of the Chesapeake. It is almost certain that he entered the 
lower bay of New York harbor. In the year 1524, Verrazano, 
a Florentine under the French flag, explored the coast of North 
America between thirty and fifty degrees north latitude and 
took possession of it in the name of the French king. He un- 
doubtedly entered the bay of New York. In the following 
year, 1525, Estevan Gomez, a Portuguese navigator under 
the Spanish flag, also entered the estuary of the Hudson, which 
he named Rio San Antonio. 

In 1609, Henry Hudson sailed from Holland under the 
auspices of the United Netherlands Trading Company; and 
on the third of September entered the harbor of New York. 
He reached the site of Albany, as far as the river was navigable, 
and then began his return voyage down the river, leaving it 
forever on the third of October. In his report to the Company 
from Dartmouth, England, where he wintered on his return 
to Europe, he named the river Mauritius, in honor of Prince 
Maurice of Orange. 

24 



Under the Dutch 25 

The Dutch soon took advantage of Hudson's discovery; 
and for nearly fifteen years a succession of Dutch vessels 
under skillful and active masters like Block, May, Christiansen, 
and De Witt visited the river and traded with the Indians, 
returning to Holland with furs and peltry. Trading-posts 
were established at Castle Island below Albany and on Man- 
hattan Island ; the former was the more important, being near 
the heart of the fur country and among friendly Indians. 
But the traders did not stay; having laden their ships, they 
returned to Holland. 

The first lot of agricultural colonists settled at Fort Orange, 
later Albany, in the first half of May, 1624, The settlement 
of Manhattan Island did not take place until the spring of 
1626; though for many years before that date the island had 
been occupied, as indicated, as a trading-post by the Dutch, 
and probably by the French. In the year 1628, according 
to Wassenaer, the total white population of New Amsterdam 
numbered two hundred and seventy souls. 

The land north of the Harlem River was occupied near the 
Hudson by the Manhattans and by the Weckquaesgeeks ; 
eastward of them were the Siwanoys as far as Stamford in 
Connecticut — all branches of the Mohegans. This territory 
was usually spoken of as the mainland. 

On August 3, 1639, there was conveyed by the Indian 
sachems, Tequeemet, Rechgawac, and Pachimiens, to the 
West India Company, through Secretary Cornells Van Tien- 
hoven, a tract of land, "called Keskeskeck, stretching length- 
wise along the Kil which runs behind the island of Manhattan, 
mostly east and west, and beginning at the head of said Kil 
and running to opposite of the high hill by the flat, namely 
by the Great Kil, with all right, titles, etc., etc." The "Kil 
behind the island of Manhattan" is the Harlem River; the 



26 The Story of The Bronx 

"Great Kil" is the Hudson; and "the high hill by the flat" 
is, probably, the hill at the north end of the island; the "flat" 
refers to the plains of Harlem. The boundaries of this tract, 
especially to the northward, are rather indefinite; but the 
tract later became the lower portion of Westchester County, 
and later still, the Borough. The transfer was made "in 
consideration of a certain lot of merchandise," which the 
sachems acknowledged to have received. 

The prevailing idea is that the European colonists, with the 
exception of Penn, simply took the lands from the Indians and 
occupied them. On the contrary, the general custom was to 
purchase the land from the Indians ; and this was the invariable 
rule in Dutch New Netherland and English New York. In 
searching titles to-day in the older States, the basis will 
always be found in the Indian title. To our modern notions, 
the recompense to the Indians seems inadequate; but to a 
people whose idea of value was based upon belts of wampum 
made of shells, the iron pots, blankets, trinkets, and what 
not, were probably of inestimable value. At the same time, 
Dutch thrift is proverbial; and they made good bargains. 

The flats of Haerlem had already been occupied as bou- 
weries, or farms, by the Dutch settlers, and it is probable that 
some of the boers, or farmers, crossed the river and occupied 
the new land "upon the Maine. " In the year 1640, a second 
purchase was made of the lands to the eastward of Keskes- 
keck; and in 1641, Jonas Bronk, or Brunk, made a purchase 
of five hundred acres of land between the Harlem and Aqua- 
hung rivers. The latter soon lost its Indian name and became 
known after the proprietor as Bronk's River; to-day, the 
Bronx, a natural derivative from "Bronk's," which has 
given its name to the Borough. 

Bronk, Bronck, or Brunk was a Dane, or Swede, who had 



Under the Dutch 27 

taken up his residence in Amsterdam, Holland, where he 
married Antonia Slagboom. Hearing of the fertiHty of the 
soil of Nieuw Nederlandt, and filled with the spirit of adven- 
ture which permeated all classes during that age, he embarked 
with his family, servants, cattle, and other property and ar- 
rived in New Amsterdam in July, 1639. That the Company 
had in view the Keskeskeck purchase of August 3, 1639, and 
that Bronk had determined to avail himself of the newly to 
be acquired land are shown by records in Albany among the 
ancient archives of the State, One of them is a lease made on 
July 21, 1639, by Jonas Bronck to Peter Andriessen and Lourent 
Dayts, by which the former agrees to "show" to the lessees a 
certain lot, 

"in~-which lot aforesaid they may cultivate tobacco and 
maize, upon the express condition that they shall clear and 
cultivate every two years a fresh spot for the raising their 
tobacco and maize, and then the spot which they cultivated 
before shall return again to Mr. Bronck aforesaid, to dispose 
of according to pleasure." 

They had the use of each field they cleared for three 
years, but at the end of that time it became once more 
at the disposal of the proprietor. The lease was made 
by Secretary Van Tienhoven. It was a case of what we 
should call to-day "working on shares," by which the 
owner of the land gradually got it cleared without expense 
to himself, while the lessees were entitled to the usufruct. 
On the fifteenth of August of the same year, Bronk also leased 
land on similar terms to Cornelius Jacobsen Stoll and John 
Jacobsen. Bronk bought his land from two Indian sachems, 
Ranaque and Tackamuck. He erected a stone house covered 
with tiles, bams, barracks, and a tobacco house; and, being 
of a religious nature, named his house Emmaus. His house 



28 The Story of The Bronx 

was situated not far from the present Harlem River station 
of the New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad, at 
Lincoln Avenue and East I32d Street. 

He had hardly established himself at Emmaus before an 
Indian war broke out, which lasted with intervals for three 
years, during which the Weckquaesgeeks destroyed all the 
farms and bouweries in that section. The war was brought 
about by Governor Kieft, who demanded from his tribe the 
surrender of an Indian murderer who had killed at Harlem a 
harmless Dutchman named Smits. Notwithstanding the ad- 
verse opinions of his twelve councillors, William the Testy forced 
the war with most disastrous effects to the colony. A treaty 
was made with the Indians at Bronk's house in 1642; but the 
Indians again began their depredations and continued them 
until their power was completely broken and five hundred of 
them slain at Mehanus by Captain John Underbill, in 1645. 

In the year 1643, Jonas B ronk, the first recorded white 
settler of Westchester County, died ; and his estate was admin- 
istered by friends in Harlem, Dominie Everardus Bogardus 
(the husband of the famous Annetje Jans) and Jochim Petersen 
Keyser. From the inventory of the estate, we must believe 
that Heer Bronk was a gentleman of education, culture, and 
refinement; for there appear books, silver table service, linen 
napkins, and "six linen shirts." The books were chiefly 
of a religious or theological, character, polemical discussions 
so dear to the reader and writer of that day, and were in 
several languages; so that Heer Bronk must have been some- 
thing of a linguist. His son Peter afterwards settled near 
Albany, in whose neighborhood, so it is said, his descendants 
are to this day. The widow married Arendt Van Corlaer, 
sheriff of Rensselaerswyck, ' who sold " Brouncksland " to 

' See The Lady of Fort St. John, by Mrs. Catherwood. 




pq 



O -ti- 



w 






rn 


cS 


n1 


ci3 


^ 


CIJ 




J3 
O 


o 



■& .S o 



Under the Dutch 29 

Jacob Jans Stoll. After passing through various hands, it 
came into possession of Samuel Edsall about 1668-1670, who 
sold it in 1670 to Richard and Lewis Morris, merchants of 
Barbados. Captain Richard Morris was already located in 
New York and bought the land and took possession of it in 
behalf of his brother. Colonel Lewis Morris, as well as for 
himself. 

The bounds of " Brouncksland " ^ are hard to determine. 
The northern line probably did not extend beyond 150th 
Street. To the east, the land extended to Bungay Creek; 
and to the south, to the Harlem River and Bronx Kills. The 
site of Bronk's house became that of Colonel Lewis Morris, 
and later, of the manor-house. 

The next settler within the Borough was Mrs. Anne Hutchin- 
son, who had come from England to Boston in 1634. Here 
her peculiar religious notions and outspoken criticisms ren- 
dered her obnoxious to the theocratic authorities of that colony 
so that she was banished from it shortly after Roger Williams 
had suffered a like fate from Salem. She went to Williams's 
new settlement at Rhode Island and founded Portsmouth and 
Newport ; but not finding Rhode Island to her liking, she again 
migrated with her husband, family, and belongings to the 
Dutch colony of New Netherland, and settled, in 1643, in 
what is' known as Pelham Neck. The Dutch called the neck 
after her, "Annes Hoeck, " or Ann's Neck; the stream near 
which her house stood was called Hutchinson's River, a name 
that it still bears. In the Indian war which broke out again 
after the signing of the treaty at Bronk's house, the savages 
made a descent upon her farm and wiped it out of existence, 
at the same time killing her and all her family and servants 

' Also spelled Broncksland, Brunksland, Bronksland, Bruksland, and 
several other ways in ancient records and histories. 



30 The Story of The Bronx 

except a granddaughter, who was carried into captivity, but 
who was afterwards restored ; her two years' captivity among 
the savages had converted her into one. 

In September, 1642, John Throckmorton, or Throgmorton, 
with thirty-five famihes applied to the Dutch authorities 
for permission to occupy the Vriedelandt, or "land of peace," 
as it was called by the Dutch, on the shore of the Sound. 
This permission having been granted, October, 1642, the 
colonists settled on the long neck lying south of Eastchester 
Bay, which, after the leader of the colonists, was called Throg- 
morton's Neck, contracted into Throgg's Neck, and sometimes 
Frog's Neck. Governor Kieft gave them a patent, or grond 
brief, for the land in July, 1643. The colony was composed 
of Quakers and other malcontents from the New England 
colonies, who found the religious intolerance of those colonies 
unbearable, and so sought freedom among the Dutch. Roger 
Williams, the founder of Rhode Island, was a personal friend 
of Throckmorton ; and it is known he was in New Amsterdam 
in the winter of 1642- 1643, sailing from New Amsterdam for 
Europe, whence he returned later with the famous charter 
for his colonies in Rhode Island. It is more than likely that 
he visited Throgg's Neck, as he was deeply interested in the 
success of his friend Throckmorton and his colony in the 
Vriedelandt. The colony thrived ; but the Indian raiders who 
had destroyed the Hutchinson family attacked the Vriedelandt 
colony and destroyed it. Eighteen persons were massacred; 
but a passing boat fortunately landed at the neck at the time 
of the attack, and the remainder of the settlers escaped in it. 
Before the war ended, the whole section north of the Harlem 
River, as well as Long Island, became a wilderness; as those 
who escaped the tomahawk of the savage sought safety in the 
fort at New Amsterdam. 



Under the Dutch 31 

One of Throckmorton's companions at the Vriedelandt 
colony was Thomas Cornell, a native of Essex in England, who 
escaped at the time of the Indian massacre. On July 26, 
1646, he was granted by the Dutch authorities a patent to 
the land lying between "Brunk's Kill" and the creek, now 
called Pugsley's, which enters the mouth of Westchester 
Creek. The Indian name of the neck was Snakapins; but 
when Cornell settled on the land it took his name. He erected 
buildings and cultivated the land until again forced to vacate 
by Indian aggressions. After his two experiences, Cornell 
seems to have given up hope of establishing himself in New 
Netherland and returned to Portsmouth, Rhode Island, 
where he is recorded as being on a coroner's jury in 1653, 
and as a commissioner of the town in 1654. His daughter, 
who married Thomas Willett, September i, 1643, inherited 
the neck, and it remained with her descendants for over a 
century and a half. 

Throckmorton did not return to his colony after the catas- 
trophe which had overtaken it, but settled in New Jersey. 
On April 29, 1652, he petitioned Governor Stuyvesant for 
permission to dispose of the land ; and in the following October 
he sold it to Augustine Hermans. Shortly afterwards, 
Hermans sold fifty morgens' of the land to Thomas Hunt, 
who, after the English occupation, received from Governor 
Nicolls a confirmatory grant, or patent, under date of Decem- 
ber 4, 1667. 

In order to encourage the settlement of New Netherland, 
the West India Company offered in 1629 great tracts of land 
to any one who would establish a colony of fifty persons above 
the age of fifteen years. If on a river, the domain was to 
extend sixteen miles on one bank, or eight miles on each bank, 

' A Dutch morgen, or acre, approximates two English acres. 



32 The Story of The Bronx 

and to run back as far "as the situation of the occupiers will 
admit." The owner of the land was styled "patroon, " and 
he was almost absolute ruler of whatever colony he might 
plant. He bound himself, however: (i) to transplant the 
fifty settlers to New Amsterdam at his own expense; (2) to 
provide each of them with a farm stocked with horses, cattle, 
and farming tools, and charge a low rent; (3) to employ a 
schoolmaster and minister of the Gospel. In return, the 
colonist bound himself: (i) to stay and cultivate the patroon 's 
land for ten years; (2) to bring his grain to the patroon's 
mill and pay for grinding; (3) to use no cloth not made in 
Holland ; (4) to sell no grain or produce till the patroon had a 
chance to buy it. 

This generous offer of the Company found many takers, 
and during the Dutch period, over six hundred patents were 
granted. The greatest of all the patroons was Kilian Van 
Rensselaer, a diamond polisher and director of the Company, 
who took up over seven hundred thousand acres of land in 
the valleys of the Hudson and the Mohawk. He selected as 
sheriff of his patroonship, de Jonkheer Adrien Van der Donck, 
who came to Rensselaerswyck in 1641. Van der Donck was 
a native of Breda, a graduate of the University of Leyden, and 
a lawyer by profession, the first to come to New Netherland. 
He served for five years with Van Rensselaer, with whom he 
had many differences, and who accused him of dishonorable 
dealings. 

On October 22, 1645, Van der Donck married Mary, the 
daughter of the Reverend Francis Doughty of Long Island; 
and soon afterwards, disgusted with his experience with Van 
Rensselaer, he withdrew from Beverwyck and settled in New 
Amsterdam. He desired to become a patroon himself; and 
being a man of culture and education, as well as of means, 



Under the Dutch 33 

he had little trouble in coming to terms with the Company, 
especially as they were under obligations to him for services 
rendered, as well as for money loaned. He was bound, however, 
to obtain deeds from the Indians for any lands taken from them 
which had not already been purchased by the Company, 

The tract selected by Van der Donck extended north about 
eight miles from the mouth of Spuyten Duy vil Creek along the 
east bank of the Hudson, thence easterly to the Bronx River, 
which was the eastern boundary; the southern boundary ran 
from the eastern entrance of Spuyten Duyvil Creek east to 
the Bronx River; the southern boundary was Spuyten Duyvil 
Creek. The boundaries were about the same as those of the 
township of Yonkers as formed by the Legislatiure of 1788. 
The tract was called "Nepperhaem" in the deed; but was 
known popularly as "Colen Donck" ( Donck 's Colony), 
and sometimes as "De Jonkheer's, " which latter by natural 
corruption became Yonkers, the "J" in Dutch being pro- 
nounced "Y." 

Van der Donck was attracted to this section by the fertility 
of the soil, its nearness to the fort at New Amsterdam and by 
the fact that there was a good running stream, the Nepperhan, 
which could be easily dammed so as to furnish power for the 
mills to be erected along its banks. As a result of these mills, 
the stream was called De Zaag Kill or "Saw Creek," or, as 
known in Yonkers to-day, the Sawmill River. The dams 
remained until 1892, when they were removed for sanitary 
reasons. 

The almost absolute powers given to the patroons brought 
them to believe they were equal to, or independent of, the 
Company's representatives. Hence, constant disputes arose 
between them and the governor, he trying to curtail the 
powers of these landed gentry, and they defying his authority 



34 The Story of The Bronx 

to interfere with their property and business. The despotic 
Stuyvesant finally gave way and a Council of Nine was formed 
in 1649, of which Van der Donck was a member. He returned 
to Holland as the agent of those opposed to the governor; 
and the fact that he had been imprisoned by Stuyvesant for 
contumacious conduct gave additional weight to his feeling 
against the governor. Stuyvesant's friends in Holland were 
too strong for Van der Donck, however, and he became an 
object of suspicion to the authorities, who kept him under 
surveillance. Upon his attempting to return to the colony he 
was stopped, even after his family and property were aboard 
the vessel. His detention lasted until 1653. He wrote a his- 
tory of New Netherland, but the part relating to the govern- 
ment was suppressed. In 1652, the University of Ley den 
conferred upon him the degree of " Doctor of Civil and Canon 
Law"; and the same year he received his patent for his pa- 
troonship from the States-General itself, the highest authority 
in Holland ; the grant had been made in 1646. The delay of six 
years may have been caused either by his strenuous remon- 
strances against the governor, by which Van der Donck be- 
came persona non grata, or by some difficulty in obtaining 
deeds from the Weckquaesgeeks and Manhattans, who had 
several villages on his tract. 

Van der Donck came back to New Amsterdam in 1653, 
having first requested permission from the Company to 
practise his profession as a lawyer; but so distrustful were they 
of his abihty to make trouble that they refused, except that 
''he might give his opinion if asked." He once more returned 
to Holland, and then came back to New Amsterdam, where he 
died in 1655. 

He probably never lived upon his land; though that he 
intended to do so is shown by his purchase from the Indians 



Under the Dutch 35 

of a tract of flat land for that indispensable adjunct to every 
Dutchman's comfort and peace of mind, a garden. The 
tract, called "Van der Donck's Planting Ground," lies in the 
parade ground in Van Cortlandt Park, west of Tippett's 
Brook and the lake. This was also the site probably selected 
for his house. In accordance with the provisions of his 
grant, he established colonists upon his land, who, in view of 
the Indian war of Kieft's administration, cultivated friendly 
relations with the red men, who still maintained their villages 
at Spuyten Duyvil and at the mouth of the Sawmill River, 
at both of which places many Indian relics have been found. 
He also established a saw-mill on the Nepperhan in 1649; 
but his death in 1655 frustrated any plans he had made for the 
development of his land. 

As to his family, we have nothing trustworthy. His wife, 
Mary Doughty, may have built upon and cultivated the land 
and received some income from it. If he had children, their 
records have disappeared, though it is said there were Van 
der Doncks on Long Island, but whether direct or collateral 
descendants is not known. His widow married Hugh O'Neale 
of Patuxent, Maryland, before 1666, and she went there to 
live in 1671. We shall come across her again when we take 
up the English period. 

In 1654-55, some New Englanders, probably carrying out 
the claim of Connecticut to the south, settled in the Vriede- 
landt near Westchester Creek without permission of Governor 
Stuyvesant. Such an act would be sure to arouse Peter the 
Headstrong, and we find that on April 19, 1655, a writ of eject- 
ment was issued against "Thomas Pel and other trespassers. " 
On the twenty-second, Claes Van Elslant, the messenger of 
the Dutch court, accompanied by Albert the Trumpeter, 
served the writ. Notwithstanding that he was threatened 



36 The Story of The Bronx 

by armed men, Van Elslant jumped bravely ashore, and though 
at once made prisoner, did his duty and read the protest, 
afterwards handing it to the leader of the trespassers, who 
said: 

"I cannot understand Dutch; why did not the Fiscal send 
it in Enghsh? If you send it in English, then I shall send 
an answer in writing. But it 's no matter; we expect the 
ships from Holland and England which are to bring the 
settlement of the boundary. . . . Whether we are to dwell 
here under the States or Parliament time will tell ; furthermore, 
we abide here under the States of England. ... If we had a 
sup of wine we should offer you some; but we have not any." 

Then they all fired their guns into the air by way of a salute. 
Van Elslant tried to see all he could of their houses, but they 
kept both the Dutchmen closely guarded and finally per- 
mitted them to return to New Amsterdam. 

Then, indeed, were Stuyvesant and his council wrathy at 
the treatment meted out to their messengers; though it was 
not until the sixth of the following March that everything 
was ready for the expedition. Captain de Connick and 
Captain-lieutenant Nuton represented the military arm, and 
Fiscal Van Tienhoven, the civil arm of the government. 
They started with a body of men for Westchester, or Oostdorp, 
as it was called by the Dutch, with orders to fall upon it by 
night, force the trespassers to withdraw with their cattle and 
property and to destroy the houses. 

The expedition reached Oostdorp on the fourteenth of March 
and found the settlers under arms ready to receive it. The 
leader of the trespassers was named Wheeler; and the whole 
colony, if we are to believe the worthy Secretary Van Tien- 
hoven, was composed of fugitives, vagabonds, and thieves, 
who had been driven out of New England on account of their 



Under the Dutch 37 

misdoings. They refused to leave, saying the land belonged 
to them. They were then disarmed, and twenty-three of 
them were taken prisoners to New Amsterdam in a vessel 
called de Waagh (the Scales). Only a few men, with the 
women and children, were left to take care of the goods. 
The pleadings of the wives of the prisoners were effective with 
the governor and council, and so the prisoners were released, 
after being required to pay the expenses of the expedition 
(thrifty Dutch!) and promising under oath to vacate the 
colony within six weeks and not to return without consent of 
the Dutch authorities. 

The Englishmen then drew up a very humble petition to the 
Dutch authorities, praying that they might be permitted to 
remain at Westchester; and since the Dutch claimed juris- 
diction over the land, they stated the}^ were willing to acknow- 
ledge that authority and give true and humble allegiance to 
the same so long as they remained, provided they be permitted 
to choose their own officers for the management of their town 
affairs. The governor and council, having thus established 
the claim of the West India Company to the Vriedelandt, 
graciously granted the petition the day it was made, March 
sixteenth. They then returned to Westchester and organized 
their town government, electing Lieutenant Thomas Wheeler 
as their magistrate, whose election was confirmed by the gover- 
nor; but several of the worst characters were required to give 
bail for their good conduct or leave the colony. This was 
the pledge that was signed later by the usurping English: 

"This first Jannaury A. 1657; in east towne 
in the N. Netherlands. 

Wee whose hands are vnder writen do promes to oune the 



38 The Story of The Bronx 

gouernor of the manatas as our gouernor and obay all hid 
magastrates and laws that ar mad acordin to god so long as we 
Hue in his Juridiction. " 

One of the primary causes of Stuyvesant's action against 
the Oostdorp colonists lay in the fact that, in 1655, an Indian 
war broke out, and that the New Englanders were suspected 
of being the instigators, or, at least, in a conspiracy with the 
Indians to injure the Dutch and to deprive them of their land. 
In addition, they were in communication with the Connecticut 
colony and gave Stuy vesant so much trouble that the Directors 
ordered their removal. Later, in 1664, Van Couwenhoven re- 
ported that an Indian sachem came to his house and stated 
that theOostdorp settlers had promised to assist the Esopus and 
Wappinger Indians in an insurrection against the Dutch. The 
English were to drive the Dutch out of Long Island and New 
Amsterdam and wanted the Indians to assist. The latter were 
willing and promised the English land at Esopus, if success- 
ful ; but, upon visiting Westchester for final arrangements, their 
sachems were told that the English sachem (probably Wheeler) 
had entered into an arrangement with Stuy vesant for a year, 
and that no war could be started at present. The Indians 
went away disgusted, saying: " It is better to be at peace with 
the Dutch; the English are only fooling us." 

The insubordinate settlers sent a complaint and petition to 
the New England authorities in August, 1664, in which they 
recited their tribulations of 1656. They recounted the hard- 
ships they had endured in the hold of a vessel and in the 
dungeons of the Manhattoes, and all because they had resisted 
the Dutch claim to their land. They also stated that, upon 
their release, some of their number had been driven away and 
the rest enslaved. But before that petition could be acted 



Under the Dutch 39 

upon, Stuyvesant was rid of his unruly settlers and they of 
him; for the following month, Colonel Nicolls appeared off 
New Amsterdam and the whole colony became the property 
of James, Duke of York and Albany. 

In Chapter VII. of Irving's Knickerbocker's History of New 
York is an interesting and amusing account of the habits and 
customs of the "Yanokies," who trespassed over the border 
of the Dutch colony and occupied, or squatted upon, the Dutch 
land. 

One of these "moss-troopers, " as Irving elsewhere calls the 
New England land-grabbers, was Thomas Pell of Onckway, 
or Fairfield, in Connecticut. He had taken part in the Civil 
War in England on the side of the Parliament, but, before the 
Restoration, moved to France and then to America. Accord- 
ing to his own statement, he purchased in 1654 from the 
Indians, "for a valuable consideration," title to the lands 
lying eastward of the Aqueanouncke, or Hutchinson's River; 
though we shall see later that he claimed to the Bronx and 
East rivers. This purchase, according to Bolton, was within 
the bounds of the Dutch purchase of 1640, to the eastward of 
Keskeskeck. The purchase included Minneford's Island, 
Hunter's Island, and Hart Island. This purchase afterwards 
became the Manor of Pelham (see Chapter III.). The south- 
ern portion, including the islands, is now a part of the Borough. 
Pell's purchase gave great uneasiness to the Dutch. 

There were constant and continuous bickerings between the 
New Englanders and the Dutch concerning the boundary line 
between their respective colonies. Adrien Block had explored 
the shores as far eastward as the island which bears his name 
(1614). If exploration and discovery give claim, the Dutch 
certainly had priority; for though the English navigators, 
Cabot, John Smith, and others, are supposed to have sailed 



40 The Story of The Bronx 

along the coast, their data are too indefinite to give a valid 
claim. The first Englishman whose reports are reliable is 
Captain Thomas Dermer, who sailed imder instructions from 
Sir Ferdinando Gorges, afterwards one of the proprietors of 
New Hampshire, in 1619. One object of his voyage was to 
return to the island of Monhegan, near the mouth of the 
Kennebec, an Indian named Squanto, who had been kid- 
napped with twenty-six companions by Hunt in 1 614, and sold 
as slaves in Malaga, Spain, whence they were released by some 
benevolent Spanish monks, whose efforts eventually returned 
most of them to their native land. 

The account of Dermer's voyage in his pinnace along the 
coast to Virginia is very interesting. He visited Patuxent, 
on the shore of Massachusetts Bay, where, a year 'and a half 
later, December, 1621, the Pilgrims were to land and establish 
their colony of Plymouth, voyaged along the shores of Cape 
Cod, Martha's Vineyard, and Long Island Sound, where, he 
says: "I fear I had been embayed." At what was later 
Throgg's Neck, "a great multitude of Indians let fly at us 
from the bank ; but it pleased God to make us victors. Near 
unto this we found a most dangerous cataract amongst 
small, rocky islands, occasioned by two unequal tides, the one 
ebbing and flowing two hours before the other"; a very good 
description of that terror of ancient navigators. Hell Gate. 
He then visited Manhattan Island and "met with certain 
Hollanders who had a trade in Hudson's River some years 
before that time (161 9), with whom I had a conference about 
the state of that coast, and their proceedings with those 
people, whose answer gave me good content." Dermer was, 
therefore, the first Englishman to visit the shores of the 
Borough. 

As early as 1632, the Dutch bought from the Indians the 



Under the Dutch 41 

lands in the fertile valley of the Connecticut on both sides of 
the river, and Commissary Van Curler established a fort at 
the junction of a small stream (now the Park River) with 
the "Fresh" River, as the Connecticut was then called. The 
fort was near the site of the present city of Hartford, and was 
called "Fort Good Hope." The arms of the States-General 
were also nailed to a tree at Kievet's Hoeck (Saybrook Point) 
on the west bank of the mouth of the river. An Englishman 
named Holmes visited the river on behalf of the Massachu- 
setts Colony, and, though threatened by the commandant at 
Fort Good Hope, sailed his sloop past the fort and inspected 
the land beyond. His report was so favorable that a colony 
was established at Hartford, within a mile of the Dutch fort, 
whose garrison the English treated with derision. One of the 
Dutch complaints reads: 

"Those of Hartford have not only usurped and taken the 
lands of Connecticut, but have also beaten the servants of 
their high mightinesses, the honored Company, with sticks 
and plow staves, laming them." — 1640. 

For a humorous account of this whole transaction, one 
should read the history by " Diedrich Knickerbocker. " 

Remonstrances from the Dutch followed continuously until 
1663, when, for the purpose of adjusting the conflicting claims, 
Governor Stuyvesant went in person to Boston, where he 
stated before the New England commissioners who had been 
appointed to meet him, that "he wished a friendly and 
neighborly settlement of differences concerning Eastdorp, by 
the English called Westchester, and all other disputes, that 
the parties may live in peace in the wilderness where many 
barbarous Indians dwell." His negotiations were fruitless, 
as the New England commissioners demanded more than his 
duty to his superiors would permit him to grant. The loss 



42 The Story of The Bronx 

of New Netherland by the Dutch transferred the controversy 
about the boundary to their successors, and the final settlement 
of the boundary Une was not attained between New York and 
Connecticut until the Congress of 1 880-81. 

This boundary dispute was of so much importance that, in 
the report submitted to the States-General and the Company 
by Stuyvesant after the surrender to NicoUs, he says that the 
unwillingness of the Dutch to defend the city was caused 

"by the attempts and encroachments at the hands of the 
English in the preceding year, 1663. 

"First, through Captain John Talcot's reducing East- 
dorp, situate on the Main, not two leagues from New 
Netherland, by order and commission of the government at 
Hartford." 

On March 12, 1663, Edward Jessup and John Richardson 
of Westchester bought from nine Indians a tract of land 
west of the Bronx River, extending south to the East River, 
and northerly to about the middle of the present lower lake 
in Bronx Park; the western boundary was a small stream 
called Bungay Creek by the English, or " Sackwrahung " by 
the Indians ; the eastern boundary was the middle of the Bronx 
River. The tract was subdivided into twelve farms, and was 
therefore called the "Twelve Farms, " or since these lay to the 
west of Westchester, more commonly, the "West Farms." 
By confirmatory patent of Governor Nicolls, dated April 25, 
1666, the tract was divided into two equal portions between 
the two original patentees. Jessup's daughter Elizabeth 
married Thomas Hunt of the "Grove Farm" on Throgg's 
Neck; they came into possession of the neck extending into 
the East River, which thus became known as Hunt's Point. 
This was by purchase from "Robert Beachem and Elizabeth, 
formerly the wife of Edward Jessup, " of "all those hoeing lands 



Under the Dutch 43 

and accommodations that were formerly Edward Jessup's. '* 
The deed is dated June 20, 1668. 

In the southwest corner of the West Farms strip, was a 
small tract whose ownership was in dispute between the heirs 
of the patentees and the Morrises from 1666 to 1740, when 
the manor-lord of Morrisania obtained possession. As there 
were a number of streams in that locality, the question arose 
as to which was the Sackwrahung. The West Farms people 
claimed that it was Bungay Creek, or Brook; Colonel Morris, 
that it was the stream to the eastward, called Wigwam Brook, 
and later, Leggett's Creek and Bound Brook. The disputed 
strip was long known as the "debatable land." 

From the preceding accounts of the grants during Dutch 
possession, it will be seen that comparatively little was done 
in the way of development. A settlement grew at Harlem 
on Manhattan Island, and it is not unlikely that some of the 
farmers occupied land on the mainland. Thus we have the 
court records of a dispute in 1683, with the Jansen brothers 
and Daniel Tumeur as plaintiffs against Colonel Lewis Morris, 
for four lots of meadow land at Stony Island, now Port Morris, 
which they had cultivated under previous owners of Broncks- 
land. The plaintiffs were inhabitants of Harlem. They 
lost their first suit, when the Jansens withdrew. Turneur 
then entered suit alone against Colonel Morris, and was 
finally successful in proving ownership to the disputed land. 

The oppressive rule of the Dutch irritated their Indian 
neighbors to such a pitch that the desire of retaliation over- 
came their fear of the Five Nations, the friends and allies of 
the Dutch, and thrice within twenty years, in 1655, 1658, and 
1663, the Weckquaesgeeks, the Siwanoys, and the Manhattans 
went on the warpath with their kindred Mohegans in New 
Jersey and Long Island. The massacres and outrages per- 



44 The Story of The Bronx 

petrated on both sides were horrible; if anything, the Dutch 
were the more savage of the two. In vain did Stuyvesant, 
after the Indian troubles of 1655, order the settlers to form 
towns after the EngHsh fashion, an order not carried out for 
years, except in the case of Esopus. These repeated Indian 
wars no doubt retarded settlement to some extent, though 
English from both Virginia and New England came into the 
colony, as well as the Walloons from Europe. 

The conditions during Dutch rule are well summed up by 
the historian Eliot, who says: 

"Had the wars never occurred, the colony would have 
made no rapid progress. In itself it was divided by what 
may be called castes. The patroons, for instance, were an 
order by themselves, not necessarily hostile to the au- 
thorities nor unfriendly to the colonists, yet often prov- 
ing to be one or both. Then the colony lay at the mercy 
of the company and its director, whose supremacy was 
shared by none but a few officials and councillors. The 
attempts at representation on the part of the more substantial 
colonists were of no avail. The colony was still a colony of 
traders. No generous views, no manly energies, were as yet 
excited among its inhabitants or its rulers. From the slave 
to the colonist, from the colonist to the patroon, from the 
patroon to the director, and even from the director to the 
company, there was little besides struggling for pecuniary 
advantage. It was esteemed a great era in the colony when, 
after various dissensions, in 1638, its trade was nominally 
thrown open. But the percentages to the company were 
such as to prevent any really free trade. " 



I 



CHAPTER III 

UNDER THE LORD PROPRIETOR, 1664-1685 

IN the last chapter, there have been stated the causes of 
the dissensions which arose between the Enghsh and 
the Dutch : first, the explorations of the earlier naviga- 
tors of both nations ; secondly, the active spirit of settlement 
of the English and their encroachments upon the territory of 
the Dutch. At no time did the population of New Netherland 
exceed ten thousand souls; and a feeble and scattered colony 
of traders was bound to go to the wall in a conflict with its 
energetic and pushing neighbors, not only on the east but to 
the south. The influx of English on Long Island and other 
parts of the colony, even in New Amsterdam itself, had, by 
1664, raised the ratio of foreigners to Dutch as six to one. 
Long and bitter as were the disputes between New Netherland 
and her neighbors, and voluminous as were the reports and 
complaints to their high mightinesses, the States- General and 
the Company, the mother countries were not embroiled in 
the contentions of their offspring; while a war of two years, 
1652-1654, between the Commonwealth and the Netherlands, 
did not involve their American settlements. 

In 1660, came the Restoration, and Charles II. ascended 
the English throne. A war with Holland was decided upon, 
partly for commercial and partly for political reasons, the 

45 



46 The Story of The Bronx 

chief of the latter being the intimate relations which existed 
between the French and the Dutch. B ef ore the war had begun , 
on March 23, 1664, Charles, by royal patent, vested in his 
brother, the Duke of York and Albany, the Dutch province 
of New Netherland. The grant made the Duke proprietor of 
the province, "to be holden of the crown in free and common 
socage, as of the manor of East Greenwich in the County of 
Kent, " and not in feudal, or knight service. It took the new 
proprietor but a short time to buy out the other English 
claimants and to collect commissioners and troops to take 
possession of his new property. The expedition consisted of 
four ships of war and four hundred and fifty land troops, 
the whole under command of Colonel Richard NicoUs, who 
was accompanied by Governor John Winthrop of Connecti- 
cut. The expedition was not a national one in any sense, but 
was entirely individual and personal to the Duke of York. 
In fact, it was at first disavowed by the English Government ; 
but by the Treaty of Breda, in 1667, Holland was obliged to 
submit to the loss of her province. 

The fleet appeared off New Amsterdam on September 6, 
1664, and demanded the surrender of the province. Governor 
Stuyvesant wished to resist the English demand, but his 
councillors, perhaps seeing an end to the oppressive rule of the 
Company and its representative, pointed out to him the lack 
of forts, guns, troops, and other necessaries of war, the superi- 
ority of the English, and the futility of attempting to stay 
the inevitable; so that the doughty and fiery old soldier was 
compelled to accept NicoUs 's terms of surrender. These 
were exceedingly generous ; the Dutch were promised the free 
exercise of their own religion, their laws of inheritance, and 
their trade and intercourse with Holland; in fact, the former 
state of affairs was interfered with as little as possible, except 



Under the Lord Proprietor, 1664-1685 47 

that the inhabitants were obliged to swear allegiance to the 
lord proprietor. 

With the full extent of the domain of the Duke we have 
nothing to do. By commissioners appointed by Nicolls to 
meet those of Connecticut, it was decided that the boundary 
between the two colonies on the mainland should start from 
a point on Long Island Sound twenty miles from Hudson's 
River, and run northwest till it met the Massachusetts line. 
By misrepresentations on the part of the Connecticut commis- 
sioners. Colonel Nicolls was led to accept the Mamaroneck 
River as the starting-point, only ten miles east of the Hud- 
son. But the original agreement of twenty miles furnished 
the basis of the future claims of the lord proprietor and his 
successors. 

Immediately after proclaiming the Duke of York and 
Albany, Governor Nicolls changed the name of the province 
to New York and the name of the fort on Manhattan to Fort 
James in his honor. To the section in the vicinity of Manhat- 
tan Island, he gave the name of Yorkshire; and in accordance 
with the local nomenclature of that county in England, 
divided it into ridings; the east, the west, and the north. 
That portion of the mainland east of the Bronx River was 
within the North Riding, which also included a part of the 
present county of Queens on Long Island. The other part 
of the present Borough, west of the Bronx River, was within 
the government of the city of New York and Harlem. This 
connection between Long Island and Westchester County 
lasted for many years, as the earlier Constitutions of the 
State apportioned one senator to this district. As a judicial 
district of the supreme court of the State, it lasted until 
1906, when, by Constitutional amendment, the Westchester 
portion of the ancient riding was joined with Putnam, 



48 The Story of The Bronx 

Dutchess, and Rockland counties to form a new supreme 
court district. 

Let us take a brief glance at the land on the main at the \ 
time of the English occupation. On the west, lying between | 
the Hudson and the Bronx rivers, was Colen Donck; next * 
came " Brouncksland, " between the Harlem and the Bronx; 
next to the eastward came the West Farms ; east of this tract ■ 
was Cornell's Neck; adjoining it on the north was Oostdorp, 
or Westchester; beyond, on the Sound, was Throgg's Neck; 
and north of Westchester was Pell's purchase of 1654. -^ 
portion of the Keskeskeck purchase of 1639 does not seem to 
have been taken up. A conveyance of Pell, June 24, 1664, 
though made during the Dutch regime, will be taken up 
later. 

The only settlement, or town, in the whole district was 
Westchester; and the settlers here had an agreement with 
Pell, who claimed to the East River, by which they were to pay 
him a certain annual quit-rent. This they failed to do ; and 
in acknowledgment of his right, on June 14, 1664, they surren- 
dered into his hands all right, title,, and interest in the lands. 
This was altogether an odd transaction; as at the time of it 
they were sworn to allegiance to the Dutch, whose juris- 
diction they acknowledged. But being Connecticut men, 
they were probably inclined to further the claim of their 
mother colony to the Atlantic Ocean, which they could do 
better by admitting Pell's supremacy than by upholding 
the claim of the Dutch. 

Colonel NicoUs was an excellent governor, fair, just, and 
tactful, who not only looked after the interests of the proprie- 
tor, but also protected and advanced the interests of the inhabi- 
tants of the colony. One of his earliest acts was to call an 
assembly of delegates from the several towns, which met at 



Under the Lord Proprietor, 1664-1685 49 

Hempstead, Long Island, during the summer of 1665 and 
enacted the celebrated code known as the "Duke's Laws." 
The principal thing to be done was to secure to the land- 
owners indisputable possession of their holdings, which might 
be placed in doubt in the change in ownership from the 
Company to the proprietor, and the consequent change of 
allegiance. All holders of land grants, farms, patents, or 
houses were required to bring to the Governor their deeds 
from the Dutch Company, and new ones were issued in the 
name of the Duke of York. A charge of two shillings and 
sixpence was made for every hundred acres of land. The 
Dutch readily acquiesced in the new regulations, but the Long 
Islanders, who claimed to hold from Connecticut, showed 
themselves unwilling to acknowledge the Duke's authority 
over them. 

We have already referred to Thomas Pell's purchase of 
1654, and to his claim of ownership of Westchester, which 
was admitted by the settlers there. He now advanced the 
claim to all the land eastward of the Bronx River, as far as 
Richbell's purchase at Mamaroneck, and southward to the 
East River, by virtue of the Indian cession to him and the 
confirmation of his purchase by the Connecticut authorities. 
He even tried to oust Mrs. Bridges, daughter of Thomas 
Cornell, from her property at Cornell's Neck, which she had 
inherited from her father. She and her husband enjoined Pell 
from interfering with them or their property, and the case 
was tried before a jury, September 29, 1665. Pell set up the 
defence that the Dutch had no right to the land in question, 
that it belonged to Connecticut, and therefore the Dutch 
could not give away what they did not own, and that the 
grond brief of 1646 to Cornell was invalid. In reply, the 
plaintiffs quoted the terms of surrender as agreed to by Colonel 



50 The Story of The Bronx 

Nicolls, and the further instructions of the king confirming 
any grant or conveyance made by the Dutch. The jury 
found for the plaintiffs, giving sixpence damages. The sheriff 
of the "North Riding of Long Island" was ordered by the 
court to put the plaintiffs in possession of their land and to 
restrain any one from interfering with "their peaceable or 
quiet enjoyment thereof." The case was a very important 
one, not on account of the damages sustained or awarded, 
but for the principle involved. It validated under English 
law every land grant, conveyance, deed, or patent given by 
the Company or its officers, and secured to every holder of 
land under such circumstances the peaceful, absolute, and 
indisputable possession of his lot, farm, or tract. 

On June 24, 1664, three months before the surrender. Pell 
granted to James Eustis, Philip Pinckney, John Tompkins, 
Moses Hoit, Samuel Drake, Andrew Ward, Walter Lancaster, 
Nathaniel Tompkins, and Samuel Ward, "to the number of 
ten families, to settle down at Hutchinsons, that is where the 
house stood at the meadows and uplands, to Hutchinson's 
River, they paying according to ye proportion of the charges 
which was disburst for the purchase, and other necessary 
charges, etc." They were all Connecticut men from Fair- 
field; and, in 1665, drew up a covenant for their guidance, 
for the establishment of neighborly feeling among themselves 
and for the prevention of disputes. It consisted of twenty- 
six articles: "Imprimis, that we by the grace of God, sitt 
down on the track of land lieing betwixt Huthesson's broock, 
whear the house was, untell it com unto the river, that runeth 
in at the head of the meados. " The tenor of the rest of the 
articles might furnish a basis for a communal society, so excel- 
lent are they as to church, education, division of the land, 
arbitration of disputes, and public improvements. 



Under the Lord Proprietor, 1664-1685 51 

The settlement became known as the "Ten Farms, "and 
later, as Eastchester, because it lay to the eastward of West- 
chester. In 1666, the settlers bought more land from the 
Indians, who confirmed, at the same time, the previous sale 
of 1654 to Pell. The Mohegan sachems who signed the deed 
were Gramatan, Woariatapus, Annhooke (alias Wampage), 
and Porrige. The sachem Wampage, or Annhooke, was 
probably the slayer of Mrs. Hutchinson, as it was not 
unusual among the aborigines to assume the name of the 
slain, due probably, to a superstitious belief that by so 
doing the dead would be propitiated or that the good 
qualities of the slain, especially courage, would enter into the 
slayer. 

In 1667, the settlers, for the further insurance of their title, 
procured from Governor NicoUs a patent confirming them 
in their possessions. It reads: 

"Whereas, there is a certain plantation upon ye main, 
lying within ye limits and bounds of Westchester, belong- 
ing to ye north riding of Yorkshire, upon Long Island, sit- 
uate and being in ye north part of ye limits of ye said 
town, which plantation is commonly known and called by 
ye name of The Ten Farms, or Eastchester, and is now 
in the tenure and occupation of several free-holders and 
inhabitants, . . . know yee, by virtue of ye commission 
and authority unto me given by his royal highness, I have 
ratified, confirmed, and granted . . . unto Philip Pinckney, 
James Eustis, and William Hayden, ... all ye said plan- 
tation . . .viz: that is to say, bounded to the east and ye 
northeast by a certain river, commonly called Hutchinson's 
River, which runs in at ye head of ye meadow, and is ye 
west bounds of Mr. PeU's patent, to ye south-east to a 
certain creek the mouth whereof openeth to ye south-east, 
then including ye meadows heretofore called Hutchinson's 
Meadows, and ye upland, to ye now knowne and common 



52 The Story of The Bronx 

pathway coining up from Westchester, to take in also of 
ye uplands betweene Hutchinson's and Rattlesnake Brooke, 
from the said path to ye extent of half a mile north-west 
for them to plant, or otherwise to manure, as they shall see 
cause; ye remainder to lye in common between them and 
ye inhabitants of Westchester, at ye end of which half- 
mile to be bounded by Rattlesnake Brooke, tell ye come 
to ye head thereof; from thence striking a northeast Hne 
to Hutchinson's River afore-mentioned . . . and ye said 
patentees and their associates . . . shall likewise have free 
commonage and liberty for range of feed for cattle, from 
ye head of Hutchinson's Brook aforesaid, for about eight 
English miles ; to run northwest into ye woods as far as 
Bronck's River . . . likewise they shall have ye privilege 
of electing out of their owne number some discreet per- 
son, who shall be elected yearly to the office of a deputy 
constable, to keep his majesties peace, and to compose, if 
possible, all private differences by arbitration amongst them- 
selves, but that in all other matters they have relation to 
ye towne and court of Westchester. ..." The patent 
is dated: "ye ninth day of March ... in ye year of our 
Lord God, 1667." 

The author gives the patent to show the phraseology in 
which all of them are couched, and especially to show the 
indefiniteness of the metes and bounds of the land granted. 
It is almost impossible to locate with accuracy any of the 
early grants, as the landmarks in many cases have disappeared 
entirely, or else have lost their identity with the passing of 
many generations — what is known by all of one generation 
may be known by none of the next. 

In a case arising in 1909, wherein the Mount Vernon Sub- 
urban Land Company petitioned the Commissioners of the 
Sinking Fund of New York City for a release of the land 
under water in Eastchester Creek, this NicoUs patent and a 



Under the Lord Proprietor, 1664-1685 53 

confirmatory patent, given by Governor Lord Combury in 
1708, were filed with the controller of the city. 

From a number of items in the town records, it seems that 
there were numbers of rattlesnakes, and that, occasionally, 
the settlers took a day off to go out and kill them. Wolves 
were so numerous that wolf pits were constructed, and it was 
enacted "that ye inhabitants do see to fill them up." In 
1679, it was decided by vote that the inhabitants pay ten 
shillings for every wolf that is killed within the limits of 
Eastchester. Later, by act of the Provincial Assembly, the 
reward for killing a full-grown wolf was thirty shillings to a 
Christian, and ten shillings to an Indian, and half as much 
for a whelp. Deer and bear were plentiful, and hunts in the 
Long Reach patent — "ye eight English miles to run north- 
west into ye woods as far as Bronck's River" — sometimes 
lasted for a month at a time. The indefiniteness of boundary 
lines led, at a later date, to disputes with both Westchester 
and Pell. 

On October 6, 1666, a large part of Pell's purchase of 1654 
was confirmed to him by Governor NicoUs by patent: 

"and that the said tract of land and premises shall be forever 
hereafter held, deemed, reputed, taken and be an enfranchised 
township, manor, and place itself ... as if he had held the 
same immediately from his majesty the King of England, 
etc., etc., etc., his successors, as of the manor of East Green- 
wich, in the county of Kent, in free and common socage and 
by fealty only, yielding, rendering, and paying, yearly and 
every year . . . one lamb upon the first of May, if the same 
shall be demanded." 

As this was the first of the manors which played so import- 
ant a part in the history of the State, a brief explanation of a 
manor may not be amiss. Under the feudal system, which 



54 The Story of The Bronx 

was introduced into England later and was eradicated from 
there earlier than on the continent of Europe, lands were 
granted to knights as payment for military services and on 
condition that such military service should be forthcoming 
upon the demand of the sovereign or over-lord from whom such 
lands were held. From a variety of sources, including the 
multiplication of such fiefs, their subdivision, their inheritance 
by females incapable of military service, and what not, there 
was enacted a law in 1290, during the reign of Edward I., 
which put an end to the formation of new military manors 
forever. In the old Saxon kingdom of Kent, which became 
the county of Kent under the Normans, there was the manor 
of East Greenwich, which was held of the crown in free and 
common socage. By "free and common socage" is meant 
fealty to the king, or over-lord, and the payment at fixed 
intervals or upon fixed occasions of a certain service, as op- 
posed to uncertain, or military, service. This certain service 
might take the form of a yearly payment of money, of some 
article, of a fixed quantity of grain or other produce, of pelts, 
of ploughing so many acres or for so many days, and so on. 
At the time of the coronation of an English king, we find many 
claims advanced by English gentlemen — one furnishes so 
many napkins for the royal table; another holds the basin 
for the king to wash his hands ; another, the towel to dry them ; 
another provides a pigeon pie or venison pasty for the banquet ; 
another holds the king's stirrup when he mounts his horse to 
ride to Westminster to be crowned; another, when he returns. 
All of these, and many more, are really the services to be 
rendered for the possession of the manors in England ; and the 
question might legally arise whether the manor-lords have not 
forfeited their rights to their manors by a failure to perform 
such service, unless the king, by his failure to accept such 



Under the Lord Proprietor, 1664-1685 55 

service, abrogates his right to it and withdraws the necessity. 
Thus, in Pell's patent, it states that he has to pay a lamb 
every year, "if the same shall be demanded." 

The Duke of York himself held his proprietary "in free and 
common socage as of our manor of East Greenwich in our 
county of Kent " ; and in his case the yearly quit-rent consisted 
of "forty beaver skins when they shall be demanded, or in 
ninety days after." 

The manor-lord, or lord of the manor, as he was variously 
called, was subject to the general laws and to the proprietor 
and his representative, the governor; but otherwise he was 
fairly absolute within his manor, though he did not have the 
power of life and death, as is sometimes popularly supposed; 
nor was he entitled to the address of "lord"; though it has 
often been improperly bestowed, and we read of "Lord" 
Pell, "Lord" Morris, or "Lord" Philipse. The manor-lord, 
or his steward, had the power to hold a baron's court and a 
leet court to settle the differences arising within his manor; 
and his tenants were bound to appear before these courts. 
They were, however, exempt from jury duty with the other 
inhabitants outside of the manors; but they came under the 
militia laws and formed their own companies within the bounds 
of the manors. 

The manor-lord could do what he pleased with his lands; 
rent them, sell them, mortgage them, give them away, and 
leave them as he pleased at his death. He controlled the 
hunting, hawking, fishing, lumbering, milling, mining, etc., 
except of precious raetals, within his domain; and, in several 
cases, he had the appointment of ministers of the gospel, 
the right of advowson, or, as it is popularly termed in England, 
the living. 

The bounds of the manor of Pelham are fairly well defined. 



56 The Story of The Bronx 

It comprised 9166 acres, of which 6100 acres were bought 
by Governor Leisler in 1688 for the Huguenot settlement of 
New Rochelle, now the city of that name in Westchester 
County. The middle portion of the manor is now the town- 
ship of Pelham in the same county. The southern portion, 
including City, Hunter, and Hart islands, is now a part of the 
Borough; and nearly all of it, except City and Hart islands, 
is within the limits of Pelham Bay Park. 

Thomas Pell died at Fairfield, Connecticut, in September, 
1669, and by will devised "his lands and houses in any part 
of New England, or in ye territoryes of ye Duke .of York, " 
to his nephew, John Pell of Old England, the only son of his 
only brother, John Pell, D.D. The second lord of the manor, 
the John Pell of Old England, is said to have been drowned off 
City Island by the upsetting of his boat in a squall. 

Of the earliest settlement at Westchester mention has al- 
ready been made. The English name is derived from the 
town of Chester, the site of an ancient Roman camp. As one 
ancient writer remarks: "The name of Westchester is well 
chosen, as it is the westernmost of the Connecticut settle- 
ments. " The Dutch named it Oostdorp, or East-town, because 
it was the easternmost of the Dutch settlements ; so the reader 
may take his choice. 

Pell's possession of Westchester by the surrender to him of 
their rights by the inhabitants, June 16, 1664, did not last 
long, for on February 15, 1667, Governor Nicolls granted to 
John Ferris, John Quimby, and others, the land bounded on 
the west by Bronk's land, on the south by the Sound and 
East River; on the east "by a certain neck of land, commonly 
called Ann Hook's Neck or Mr. Pell's purchase"; and north- 
erly "into the woods without limitation for range of cattle 
or other improvements." Further, there were ratified, granted. 



Under the Lord Proprietor, 1664-1685 57 

and confirmed unto the said patentees, "all ye rights and 
privileges belonging to a town within this government. " We 
thus see that this grant contained originally what has already 
been described as Eastchester; but the latter was separated 
from Westchester by the patent, already given on page 51 
of the date of March 9, 1667, one month later. During the 
whole of the Colonial period there was the closest connection 
between the two places in many matters. 

The expression," Ann Hook's," or " Ann-hooke's,"or " Annes 
hooke's Neck," which continually appears in these patents 
and land grants, is peculiar in its form. Mrs. Hutchinson's 
first name was Ann, or Anne; hence the Dutch called the neck 
of land upon which she resided, Annes Hoeck, i. e., Ann's 
Neck. Why the English should make any such combination 
as Ann Hook's Neck in their legal papers it is hard to say, 
unless the authorities were confused by the popular and vulgar 
nomenclature. 

In 1673, the Dutch once more obtained possession of New 
York, and we find the inhabitants of Westchester and of the 
adjacent hamlet of Eastchester offering to submit themselves 
to their high mightinesses, the States-General and the Prince 
of Orange. Their submission was accepted by Governor 
Colve, and they were authorized to elect three magistrates, 
two for Westchester and one for Eastchester, "who in his 
village may decide all differences to the value of thirty shil- 
ling; those of higher value shall be determined by the whole 
college in the village of Westchester aforesaid." 

April 15, 1667, Governor Nicolls confirmed to William 
Willett, a grandson of Thomas Cornell and son of Sarah 
Cornell by her first husband, the original tract known as Cor- 
nell's Neck, or Black Rock. 

In 1662, Governor Stuyvesant had granted to the English 



58 The Story of The Bronx 

towns of Long Island and Westchester the right to nominate 
their own magistrates and to hold their own courts; ''but 
in dark and dubious matters, especially in witchcraft, the party 
aggrieved might appeal to the Governor and council." That 
the inhabitants of Westchester were as firm believers in the 
practice of the black art as their fellow-Englishmen in New 
England is shown by the case of Katherine Harryson, an 
Englishwoman who had lived in Wethersfield for nineteen 
years when she was accused of witchcraft, "found guilty by the 
jury but acquitted by the bench, " with the proviso that she 
remove from the town. In 1670, she came to Westchester. 
Thomas Hunt and Edward Waters, on behalf of the town, 
appeared against her in court, praying that she be removed 
from the town. The case was heard on the fourth of August, 
the woman being released on bail for her good behavior. 
In October, the court decided : 

"It is ordered, that in regard there is nothing appears 
against her deserving the continuance of that obligation [i.e., 
bail for good behavior], she is to be released from it, and 
hath liberty to remove from the town of Westchester where 
she now resides, or anywhere else in the Government during 
her pleasure." 

Notwithstanding the humane efforts of the court to pro- 
tect the poor widow, an order was issued soon after for 
Katherine Harryson, charged with witchcraft, to leave West- 
chester, "as the inhabitants are uneasy at her residing there 
and she is ordered to go off." She was therefore returned 
to Wethersfield, as Westchester did not propose to support 
the paupers of other places. In the town records is her re- 
ceipt to Joseph Palmer for thirteen pounds in money for her 
expenses. 



Under the Lord Proprietor, 1664-1685 59 

We rettim now to Colen Donck. Some time before 1666, 
the widow of Adrien Van der Donck married Hugh O'Neale 
of Patuxent, Maryland, and went there to live. On Septem- 
ber 21, 1666, 

"came Hugh O'Neale and Mary his wife (who in right of 
her former husband laid claime to a cert" parcele of land 
upon the Maine not farre from Westchester, commonly called 
the Younckers land), who bro't severall Indyans before 
the gov' to acknowledge the purchase of said lands by van 
der Donck commonly called ye Youncker. . . . Tackarack, 
. . . Claes, . . . received satisfact" of Van Der Donck. All 
the rest of the Indyans present being seven or eight acknow- 
ledged to have rec*^ full satisfaction. " 

The proof of possession by Indian title being thus before 
Governor Nicolls, he issued to Mary and Hugh O'Neale as 
joint patentees, under date of October 8, 1666, a confirmatory 
grant of Nepperhaem. As the descriptions of the bounds of 
the grant are the same in the Indians' acknowledgment, in 
the confirmatory patent and in the original Dutch grant of 
1646, we must conclude that the property was intact as Van 
der Donck bought it and as he left it at his death. On October 
thirtieth, of the same year, the two patentees transferred 
their right, title, and interest in the grant to Elias Doughty 
of Long Island, a brother of Mrs. O'Neale, and then returned 
to Maryland. 

Doughty began to sell the land in parcels to different pur- 
chasers in fee. The first sale was made March i, 1667, to 
Jan Arcer, or John Archer, of eighty acres of upland and thirty 
acres of meadow, "betwixt Broncx river & ye watering place 
at ye end of ye Island of Manhattans. " June 7, 1668, Doughty 
sold 320 acres to John Heddy, or Hadden, — this is now a part 
of Van Cortlandt Park. On July 6, 1668, Doughty sold to 



6o The Story of The Bronx 

George Tippett [also spelt Tippit' and Tibbett] and William 
Betts, 

"a parcell of land & meadow . . . formerly owned by old 
Youncker [sic] van der Donck, which runs west to Hudson's 
river & east to Broncks River, with all the upland from 
Broncks River south to Westchester Path, & so runs due east, 
and north beginning at the boggy swamp with" the liberty 
of the said Patent, & the southernmost bound to nm by the 
path that runneth and lyeth by the north end of the aforesaid 
swamp, & so run due east to Broncks River, & due west to 
the meadow which cometh to the wading place. " 

On December i, 1670, a third parcel of Colen Donck was sold 
to Francis French and Ebenezer Jones of Ann Hook's Neck and 
John Westcott of Jamaica, Long Island — this is the tract known 
as the Mile Square in the city of Yonkers, famous in Revolu- 
tionary annals. Later, Doughty sold the northern portions 
of the patent to Dame Margaret Philipse and Dirk Smith. 
Finally, September 29,1672, he sold the remainder of the tract 
consisting of 7708 acres, to Frederick Philipse, Thomas 
Delavall, and Thomas Lewis. 

Jan Arcer, the first purchaser from Doughty, was probably 
an inhabitant of Westchester, as the name appears in the 
records of that town. He was probably of Dutch extraction, 
though Bolton gives an elaborate genealogy of him from 
Fulbert L' Archer, one of the companions of William the 
Conqueror. Having married an English wife, Arcer's name 
was anglicized into Archer. In addition to the Doughty 
tract, he acquired other lands from the Indians to the westward 
of the Bronx; and was such a land-grabber that the Dutch 
nicknamed him Koopall, or "Buy all." On the question of 
land, he might be appropriately termed the Astor of the seven- 
teenth century. He established a dorp, or village, in the 



Under the Lord Proprietor, 1664-1685 6i 

northwest comer of his land, opposite the eastern entrance of 
Spuyten Duyvil Creek, about where the Kingsbridge station 
of the Putnam Railroad is now located. It consisted of one 
street running north and south on the line of the present 
Kingsbridge road leading to Fordham Heights. 

As on May 3, 1669, Governor Lovelace gave Archer leave 
to settle sixteen families on the mainland, "near the wading 
place," it must have become a village of several houses, though 
not a vestige of them remains upon the site. The lessees of 
the farms were principally from Harlem; and it seems from 
the ancient court records of that place that Archer was almost 
continually in trouble with his tenants and neighbors; for on 
one date, September 8, 1671, no less than four cases were 
brought against him : for mowing grass on another man's mea- 
dow, for breaking down another's fences, for throwing the 
furniture of a third out-of-doors, and the fourth, on general prin- 
ciples of trespass and interference. Some of these would indi- 
cate that there was some Irish blood in his veins. The Harlem 
records also show that he gave three mortgages to Cornelius 
Steenwyck, who appears from the records of Westchester Coun- 
ty to have advanced money to other landowners of the county. 

Finally, to escape the interference of the Harlem magis- 
trates and the better to secure his purchases from Doughty 
and the Indians, he procured from Governor Lovelace a manor 
grant under date of November 13, 1671. The manor was to 
be held upon the payment of an annual quit-rent of "twenty 
bushels of good peas, upon the first day of March, when 
it shall be demanded." The name given to the manor was 
Fordham; that is, ham (Saxon), a house, and Ford, from the 
wading place at "ye passage commonly called Spiting Devil." 
The name may be construed as the houses (village) at the 
ford. The manor contained 1250 acres. 



62 The Story of The Bronx 

Archer was unable to repay his various loans from Steen- 
wyck, though he had until November 24, 1683, to do it in; 
and the manor thus fell to the mortgagee by foreclosure. 
By the will of Cornelius Steenwyck and Margaretta, his 
wife, dated November 20, 1684, in which the former manor- 
lord is spoken of as "the late John Archer," the whole manor of 
Fordham is left to the Nether Reformed Dutch Congregation 
within the city of New York. The manor was preserved 
intact until 1755, when, by act of the Provincial Assembly, 
the congregation and minister of the church were permitted 
to sell the lands. It is stated that through the liberality of 
Mrs. Steenwyck, who later married Dominie Henricus Sel- 
wyns, three hundred acres were reserved from the manor 
and continued in the possession of the Archers. However 
that may be, the descendants of John Archer lived upon the 
land for several generations, and one of them, Benjamin 
Archer, before 1780, had succeeded in recovering a large 
portion of the original manor, which he held in fee. 

As already stated, the estate of Jonas Bronk came into the 
possession of Captain Richard Morris in 1670. The Morrises 
were of Welsh extraction and descended, according to Bolton, 
from Rys, a companion of Strongbow in his expedition against 
Ireland, where he performed such prodigies of valor that he 
was called Maur Rys, or Rys the Great. The Morrises of 
this period of our history took part in the Civil War in England 
on the side of the Parliament. The family consisted at the 
time of the Commonwealth of three brothers: Lewis, a 
colonel in the army of the Parliament; Richard, a captain 
in his brother's regiment; and William, who was in the naval 
service of the Parliament and who was lost at sea. The last's 
son John received a commission in the navy of the Common- 
wealth, and was lost at sea off Dover Castle. 



Under the Lord Proprietor, 1664-1685 63 

The oldest brother, Lewis, lost his ancestral estates under 
confiscation by Charles I., but the loss was afterwards made 
good by Cromwell. After the establishment of the Common- 
wealth, Lewis went to the West Indies, where he became a 
member of the council of Barbados and the owner of a large 
estate. In the expedition against the Spanish in Jamaica in 
1656, he served under a colonel's commission sent to him by 
the Lord Protector. Later, he openly professed the tenets 
of the Society of Friends, or Quakers, and entertained George 
Fox, the founder of the sect, upon his visit to Barbados in 
1 67 1. After the Restoration, the second brother, Richard, 
joined Colonel Lewis at Barbados, where he married a lady 
of fortune named Sarah Pole and became a wealthy sugar 
planter. Colonel Morris's religious convictions got him into 
trouble with the Barbados authorities, as he was heavily 
fined for his failure to pay tithes and to contribute to the sup- 
port of the militia. Probably this had something to do with 
the change of residence which the two brothers planned. 
Their attention was drawn to New York as a place of good 
investment; and about 1668, Richard, with wife and posses- 
sions, came to New York for the purpose of buying a large 
estate. Before leaving Barbados, the brothers entered into 
an agreement, providing "that if either of them should die 
without issue, the survivor, or issue of the survivor, if any, 
should take the estate. " 

By an instrument dated August 10, 1670, Samuel Edsall 
conveyed Broncksland to Richard Morris, a merchant of 
New York, and to Lewis Morris, a merchant of Barbados. 
Richard and his wife took up their residence upon the estate, 
but did not enjoy it long; for they both died in 1672, leaving 
an infant son, Lewis, named after his uncle. Colonel Morris 
received news of his brother's death and came from Barbados 



64 The Story of The Bronx 

in 1673 to settle up the estate. He found that the Dutch were 
once more in possession of New York; but upon applying to 
Governor Colve, permission was given to him "to pass and 
repass into this government, on condition that he attempt 
nothing to its prejudice during his sojourn." Upon his 
applying for the guardianship of the person and estate of his 
nephew, the Governor discovered that he was an inhabitant 
of Barbados, and therefore not entitled to the same rights as 
had been guaranteed to the colonists of Virginia and New Eng- 
land by the terms of surrender of New York to the Dutch; 
and that, as his interest in the estate amounted to two thirds, 
his portion should be confiscated to the government. Negoti- 
ations proceeded, commissioners were appointed, lost articles 
were traced and recovered, and finally, the Colonel succeeded 
in satisfying the Governor, and his claims were allowed. He 
then returned to Barbados, disposed of his property there, 
and retimied to New York in 1675, finding it once more 
under English control. 

In 1676, Colonel Morris received from Governor Andros 
a patent confirming his title to the land, and, in addition, to 
all the lands lying adjacent to Broncksland, "not included in 
any grants or patents, which land the said Colonel Morris 
doth desire for further improvement." This additional 
land was, by survey, fourteen hundred acres, which, with 
the addition of Broncksland, made the whole estate 1920 
acres. The quit-rent was a yearly payment of "five bushels 
of winter wheat." The bounds on the north were the lands 
of Daniel Tumeur and John Archer; on the east, the land of 
John Richardson and Thomas Hunt; on the southeast, the 
Sound, or East River; on the west, the Harlem River. 

Daniel Tumeur's land was a strip of about eighty acres 
below Fordham Manor, purchased by him from the Indians 




Map of Brouncksland. 



ii 



.^x ''U '4( "^ 





a, Q p t) 6 






'1 














. ^-^\ f 



~-l^ 






^-^ 






I 



'm 



m 



Map of Bronx Neck. Patent of 1676. 



Under the Lord Proprietor, 1664-1685 65 

in 167 1, and confirmed by a later Indian deed of May 10, 1676, 
to "Jackeline Tumier, widow, and Daniel Tumier, the sonne 
of Daniel Tiirnier, late of New Harlem, deceased," and by 
patent of Governor NicoUs of the date of June 15, 1668. 
The land lay between the Maenippis Kill, or Cromwell's 
Creek, and the Harlem River, and comprised the high land 
which is known as Devoe's Point, named after the Devoes, 
who were descendants of Turneur's daughter. Its lower end 
is at Central Bridge. The Indians called the land Nuasin 
and the stream, Mentipathe. In an Indian deed to Colonel 
Lewis Morris under date of February 7, 1684/5, there occur 
these words: "Nuasin where formerly lived a Frenchman 
named Marcus Dissisway." The name Dissisway occurs 
also in the annals of Harlem. "Crabbe Island" is men- 
tioned in both the Tumeur and Morris grants as the starting- 
point of their bounds. 

In addition to this estate on the mainland of Westchester 
County, Colonel Lewis Morris bought thirty-five hundred 
acres in East Jersey, which he named Tintern and Monmouth, 
the first from his ancestral estate in Wales, the latter from the 
county in which it was situated. Morristown in^New Jersey 
was named after the Morris family. 

On August 9, 1673, England and Holland then being at 
war. New York was surrendered to a Dutch squadron which 
had appeared off New York on the twenty-ninth of July. 
The Dutch renamed the city New Orange and vigorously 
asserted their claim to the entire province. They held posses- 
sion till February 9, 1674, when, by the Treaty of London, it 
was returned to the English ; though the actual surrender of 
the province did not take place until the following November. 
The Crown thus became possessed of the province, and the 
Crown lawyers maintained that the Duke of York had, in 



66 The Story of The Bronx 

consequence, lost his title to it. A new patent was therefore 
issued to the Duke, and Major Edmund Andros was appointed 
Governor. 

During the Dutch occupancy (1673-1674), affairs were 
but slightly interfered with, the towns and inhabitants, how- 
ever, being obliged to take the oath of allegiance to the Dutch. 
Governor Colve probably made a good thing out of his short 
term of power, if we judge him by his composition with Colonel 
Morris, and his appropriation of the fat poultry, oxen, and 
swine of the estate of Captain Richard Morris. In the public 
documents before, during, and after the Dutch interregnum, 
we find the same names of public officers, Van Cortlandt, 
Philipse, Beekman, Bayard, and others. 

In 1683, Colonel Thomas Dongan became Governor. Acting 
under instructions from the proprietor, directly upon his 
arrival, the new Governor issued a call for a representative 
Assembly, which was presided over by himself, and which con- 
vened in the city of New York, October 17, 1683. The first 
act of this body was to frame a charter of liberties, vesting 
the law-making power in the governor, council, and people, 
in General Assembly, conferring the right of suffrage upon 
the freeholders without restraint, and establishing trial by 
jury. 

"The imposition of any tax without the consent of the 
Assembly, the quartering of soldiers and seamen against their 
will, the declaration of martial law, or the questioning of any 
person professing faith in God, by Jesus Christ, for any differ- 
ences in religious matters, were prohibited. Assemblies were 
directed to be convened at least triennially, and the delegates 
were apportioned according to population, for which purpose 
the province was divided into twelve counties, with twenty- 
one representatives, which number was afterwards increased 
to twenty-seven. " 






Under the Lord Proprietor, 1664-1685 67 

This division into counties was made November i, 1683 
Westchester County was one of them; and it has ah-eady been 
shown that the Borough was a part of that county until 1874 
for the western part, and until 1895 for the eastern part 



CHAPTER IV 

AS A ROYAL PROVINCE. I685-I776 

FEBRUARY 9, 1685, the "Merry Monarch," King 
Charles II., expired in London; and the same day 
his brother James, Duke of York and Albany, be- 
came King James II. of England. New York ceased to be 
a part of the private domain of James and became a royal 
province; though Dongan continued to be Governor- General. 
The Provincial Assembly was suspended by the King, as he did 
not consider it expedient that the people should take part in 
the government, and the Governor and his council became 
once more supreme. Now that New York and New England 
were on the same basis as royal provinces, Governor Dongan 
proposed to the King that they, with New Jersey, should be 
united under one royal governor, and that there should be 
uniformity of laws, especially those relating to the customs. 
This suggestion of Dongan's was carried out in 1688; and 
Sir Edmund Andros was appointed Royal Governor, with 
headquarters in Boston, while Colonel Francis Nicholson 
was sent as Lieutenant-Governor for New York. 

In 1686, Dongan granted to the city of New York a new 
charter under the title: "The Mayor, Aldermen, and Com- 
monalty of the City of New York." The precincts of the 

city included all of Manhattan Island ; and the Dongan charter 

68 



As a Royal Province. 1685-1776 69 

was the basis of all amendments and changes in the city 
government from that time until the Greater New York was 
formed. When the western part of the Borough became a 
part of the city in 1874, it became subject to the Dongan char- 
ter as then existing ; the same is true of the eastern part of the 
Borough annexed in 1895, though the greater city with its 
new charter was even then in view. 

Dongan was a Roman Catholic, but refused to carry out 
the instructions of the King to introduce French priests as 
missionaries among the Five Nations, on the ground that the 
measure was dangerous to the English power in America. 
This rendered him obnoxious to the King, and he forestalled 
his supersession as Governor by resigning. 

Nicholson was Lieutenant-Governor but a short time; but 
during this time he rendered himself so unpopular with the 
great mass of the people that, when the news of the accession 
of William and Mary reached the Province in June, 1689, 
the people rose against him and, backed by the militia, com- 
pelled his return to England. The Province was thus left 
without a head. Jacob Leisler, a wealthy German merchant 
and leading train-band captain, was elected to the military 
command of the Province by the Committee of Public Safety, 
and Stephanus Van Cortlandt to the mayoralty of the city. 
Finally, at the request of the committee, Leisler assumed the 
position of lieutenant-governor until such time as a regularly 
appointed one should arrive from England. The movement 
was entirely a popular one, and thus antagonized the wealthy 
landowners and merchants who formed the aristocracy of the 
province. Even the council was against Leisler; and Bayard 
and Livingston pursued him with so much rancor that it 
finally led to his unjust execution for high treason. 

In 1 690, Colonel Henry Sloughter was appointed Governor by 



70 The Story of The Bronx 

William, and Mary, with Major Richard Ingoldsby as deputy 
for New York. Ingoldsby arrived first ; but as he was unable 
to show proper credentials, Leisler refused to turn over to him 
the fort and government. Sloughter arrived in March, 1691, 
and Leisler immediately submitted ; but he was at once arres- 
ted, tried, and convicted of treason and condemned to death. 
He and his son-in-law, Jacob Milbourne, were both hanged. 
The attainder of treason against the two xmfortunate victims 
of political jealousy was afterwards removed by the home 
government and their innocence declared. There are two 
acts of Leisler's which stand out pre-eminently: first, the 
reconvening of the Provincial Assembly; and second, the 
purchase of a part of the manor of Pelham for the Huguenots, 
a transaction out of which he came with clean hands, not a 
penny going to his profit. 

The first Assembly under Sloughter met upon April 9, 1691 ; 
and, as the acts of the Assembly of 1683 had never been 
approved, either by the king or by the proprietor, they were 
all re-enacted and sent to England for approval. On July 
26th, Governor Sloughter died in a fit of drunkenness, having 
been in the Province a little over four months. 

His successor was Colonel Benjamin Fletcher, who did not 
arrive in New York till August, 1692, thirteen months after 
Sloughter's death. Fletcher was an arrogant man like Andros, 
but not possessing his abilities, of aristocratic tendencies 
and opposed to popular concessions. He was an intolerant 
member of the Church of England, and through an intentional 
misconstruction of an act of Assembly, he made it the Estab- 
lished Church of the Province. He also fought for the intro- 
duction of the English tongue ; for, strange as it may seem, the 
majority of the inhabitants spoke Dutch. 

In 1683, when the counties were formed, the town of West- 



As a Royal Province. 1685-1776 71 

Chester was appointed the shire town, or county seat. By 
the act of May 11, 1693, it was ordered that "a public and 
open market" should be held every Wednesday in the same 
town, and further, that there should be a fair held in the said 
town yearly upon the second Tuesday in May and to last 
four days, or to end on the Friday following; "to which it 
shall be lawful for every person to go and frequent. " 

But the most important act in the history of the town of 
Westchester was its formation into a borough-town by royal 
charter bearing date of April 16, 1696, and signed by Governor 
Fletcher. The government of the town was organized by 
Colonel Caleb Heathcote on the sixth of the following June. 
The charter carefully defined the limits of the township and 
prescribed that there should be a mayor, six aldermen, and 
six assistants, or common council. They should "elect and 
nominate one discreet and sufficient person, learned in ye law, 
to be recorder and town clerk for ye s** borough and town of 
W. Chester." A mayor's court was instituted which could 
hear cases where the value in controversy did not exceed thirty 
pounds. The mayor and aldermen were named in the charter, 
but after the first year the positions were to be filled by a 
majority vote of the electors. The electors should also send a 
discreet person to represent them in the Assembly of the 
Province. The "body politick" in the said corporate town 
should be styled "The Mayor, Aldermen, and Commonalty of 
the Borough and Town of Westchester." Twelve trustees 
were appointed to dispose of the undivided lands of the town. 
The quit-rent was an annual payment of thirty shillings cur- 
rent money of New York. The county fairs to be held in the 
town were to be increased to two, one in May, the other in 
October. 

Colonel Caleb Heathcote, the first Mayor, through whose 



^2 The Story of The Bronx 

instrumentality Westchester was made into a borough-town, 
was a native of Derbyshire in England. His ancestral home 
was in the Hundred of Scarsdale, where is laid the earlier part 
of Scott's Peveril of the Peak. There is a story that a yoimg 
lady to whom Caleb was engaged jilted him and married his 
elder brother, afterwards member of Parliament, governor of 
the Bank of England, and Lord Mayor of London at the same 
time that Caleb was Mayor of New York. The Colonel came 
to this country in 1692, and being possessed of great wealth 
which he had acquired as a merchant, he took a leading part 
from the start in all affairs, civil, political, mercantile, religious, 
and military. He bought land in Westchester and in other 
parts of the county beyond New Rochelle and in the interior, 
which was afterwards formed into the manor of Scarsdale. 
At the time of his death in 1 720-2 1 , he had filled many of the 
high offices of the colony, having been surveyor-general of 
customs for the Eastern District of North America, judge of 
the Court of Admiralty for the Provinces of New York, New 
Jersey, and Connecticut, one of His Majesty's council for the 
Province of New York, mayor of the city of New York (171 1- 
17 14), and colonel of the militia of Westchester County. It is 
to this last position that he owes his usual title of "Colonel" 
Caleb Heathcote. His manorial residence was on Heathcote 
Hill overlooking the harbor of Mamaroneck. 

The borough-town of Westchester remained such until 
the formation of the townships in 1788. Its representatives 
in the Provincial Assembly were Josiah Hunt, Lewis Morris, 
Sr., Gilbert Willett, Lewis Morris, Jr., Peter De Lancey, 
Lewis Morris, Third, John De Lancey, and Isaac Wilkins. 
They were all men of wealth, education, and influence, and 
extensive landowners. Their names are familiar to-day in 
many of the names of local features: Willett's Point, Hunt's 



As a Royal Province. 1685-1776 73 

Point, De Lancey's Neck, Wilkins's Creek, Morrisania, and 
Port Morris. 

Colonel Lewis Morris died in 1691. His will, dated Feb- 
ruary 7, 1690, begins: 

"Whereas I formerly intended to have made my nephew, 
Lewis Morris, son of my deceased brother, Richard Morris, 
my sole executor; his many and great miscarryages and 
disobedience toward me and my wife, and his causeless ab- 
senting himself from my house, and adhering and advizeing 
with those of bad life and conversation, contrary to my 
directions and example unto him, and for other reasons 
best knowne to myselfe, I do make and ordaine my dearly 
beloved wife, Mary Morris, sole executrix of this my last 
will and testament." 

Colonel Morris left no children, and Mary Morris died before 
her husband. His will was not admitted to probate or exe- 
cuted on account of its vagueness, so that the nephew Lewis 
was appointed administrator, cum testamento annexo. Lewis 
succeeded to the estates in accordance with the agreement 
made between his father and uncle at Barbados in 1670, 
whereby the children of the one should succeed to the estate 
in case the other should die without issue. 

That the Colonel remained a Quaker until his death is 
evident from the fact that there were several bequests to 
Quaker societies and of his negro man Yaff to his honored 
friend William Penn, provided the said Penn should come to 
reside in America. It is probable that Penn received Yaff, 
for he says in a letter to a friend: "I have resolved after 
four years of faithful service he shall be free." 

Young Lewis Morris was of a lively and adventurous 
disposition, and probably found the restraints of his Quaker 
uncle's household rather irksome; so much so that, according 



74 The Story of The Bronx 

to one of his biographers, he "strolled away to Virginia and 
thence to Jamaica in the West Indies, where, to support him- 
self, he set up for a scrivener." One of his early pranks, so 
it is reported, was played upon his preceptor, a zealous and 
pious Friend. The worthy man was wandering in the woods 
engaged in silent meditation, when he heard a voice from 
heaven, as he supposed, telling him to go and preach the gospel 
to the Indians. The voice was that of young Lewis, who was 
hidden in a tree in the vicinity. The good Friend, believing 
the command to be a divine one, actually made preparations 
for his mission among the Indians; but just on the eve of his 
departure he was informed of the truth. 

It is likely that his uncle presaged all sorts of futures for 
such an unruly lad; but, instead of going to the dogs, as one 
might suppose from such a beginning, he settled down, married 
Isabella Graham, the daughter of the attorney-general of the 
Province, took up his residence in New Jersey, whose first 
governor he became when it ceased to be proprietary. Later 
he removed to New York and became chief justice of the 
Province and a member of the Assembly. He resisted the 
tyranny of the English Governor, Cosby, stood by Zenger in 
defending the liberty of the press, and became the champion 
of the people against De Lancey, Philipse, and other supporters 
of royal prerogatives as exemplified by the royal governors; 
which last aroused such a spirit of mutual antagonism that 
the feeling remained with their descendants until the time of 
the Revolution. In fact, his whole life was spent in public 
office and in serving the Province. 

On May 8, 1697, 

"Benjamin Fletcher, captain-general and govemor-in-chief 
of the province of New York and the territories and tracts 
of land dependent thereon in America, and vice-admiral 



As a Royal Province. 1685-1776 75 

of the same, and lieutenant commander-in-chief of the mili- 
tia and all the forces by sea and land within the colony 
of Connecticut and of all the forts and places of strength 
within the same, in council at the fort at New York," 

issued to Lewis Morris a patent for the manor of Morrisania. 
The quit-rent was "six shillings, yearly and every year, on the 
feast day of the Annunciation of our Blessed Virgin, payable 
at the city of New York. " 

It was a royal patent, issued in the name of William the 
Third, and it confirmed all the previous patents and grants 
from the original one to Jonas Bronk to that present time. 
The bounds of the manor are the same as the bounds of the 
patent granted to Colonel Lewis Morris in 1676, and the 
acreage is given as 1920, more or less; so that it does not 
seem that Colonel Morris added anything from "the adjacent 
lands not already granted or patented. " The point of begin- 
ning in both patents is "the proprietor's house situated in 
Bronck's land over against Harlem." The manor-lord was 
also given the right of advowson, or patronage to all churches 
within the manor. 

In 1733, occurred the difference between Judge Morris and 
Governor Cosby. The Governor saw fit to find fault with a 
decision of a court given against him in the matter of his 
suit for salary from the time of his appointment to the time that 
he actually arrived in America and assumed the duties of his 
office, a period of several months, during which the lieutenant- 
governor. Rip Van Dam, conducted the government and was 
paid for so doing. Cosby was so imprudent as to state con- 
cerning Chief Justice Morris that, 

"I can neither rely upon his integrity nor depend upon his 
judgment ; he is a person not at all fitted to be trusted with 
any concerns relating to the King. Ever since coming to this 



76 The Story of The Bronx 

government, he has treated me, both as to my own person 
and as the King's representative, with sHght, rudeness, and 
impertinence." 

In the reply of the Chief Justice, he states: 

"I am heartily sorry, sir, . . . that the King's representative 
should be moved to so great a degree of warmth, which I think 
would proceed from no other reason but by giving my opinion, 
in a Court of which I was Judge, upon a point of law that 
came before me, and in which I might be innocently mistaken ; 
(though I think I am not) ; for judges are no more infallible 
than their superiors are impeccable. But if judges are to be 
intimidated so as not to dare to give any opinion but what is 
pleasing to a governor, and agreeable to his private views, the 
people of this province — who are very much concerned both 
with respect to their lives and fortunes in the freedom and 
independency of those who are to judge them — ^may possibly 
not think themselves so secure in either of them as the laws 
and his Majesty intend they should be, ... I might possibly 
have been impertinent, for old men are too often so ; but as to 
treating you with rudeness and disrespect, either in your 
public or private capacity, it is what I cannot accuse myself 
of doing or intending to do, at any one of the times I was with 
you. ... As to my integrity, I have given you no occasion 
to call it in question. I have been in this office about twenty 
years. My hands were never soiled by a bribe; nor am I 
conscious to myself, that power or poverty hath been able to 
induce me to be partial in the favor of either of them ; and as I 
have no reason to expect any favor of you, so I am neither 
afraid nor ashamed to stand the test of the strictest inquiry 
you can make concerning my conduct. I have served the 
public faithfully, according to the best of my knowledge; 
and I dare, and do, appeal to it for my justification. " 

A contemporary comment is made in a news-letter to a 
West Indian publication. Indus writes: 

"Sir: You will perceive, by the enclosed copy of a letter. 



As a Royal Province. 1685-1776 ']'] 

that the Original was addressed to the present Governor of 
New York, on occasion of a dispute that arose between his 
Excellency and the Chief Judge of the province concerning 
the establishment of a new Court of Equity. . . . The 
governor, however, was offended at what was spoken, and 
demanded a copy, which the judge sent to him, in print, 
with the letter now mentioned. 

"I confess I had some curiosity to know the particular 
character of this extraordinary personage, who would seem to 
act and speak like an inhabitant from some other world. 
They tell me he is nothing but a man, and a plain one, too; 
exactly like one of us — eats beef and mutton, drinks Madeira 
wine, and sometimes rum punch, as we do. His education 
was narrow, nor does he pretend to inspiration nor super- 
natural aid. His knowledge is derived merely from reading 
and observation, and his fortitude grounded on the Christian 
religion and the laws of his country, which he fancies are com- 
monly on the side of honesty and a good conscience. ..." 

Judge Morris was summarily removed from his position, 
and James De Lancey, the second judge, was appointed to his 
place. Morris immediately carried out his "dare" in the last 
sentence of his letter to Cosby, by appealing to the people 
for his vindication, and offered himself as a candidate for the 
Assembly from the county of Westchester, the incumbent of 
the office, William Willett, a close friend and fellow-townsman, 
resigning from the position in order to leave a vacancy. 

A full account of the election, which took place upon the 
green at Eastchester, is given by John Peter Zenger in the 
first number of the New York Weekly Journal, under date of 
October 29, 1733. The opponent of Judge Morris was William 
Forster, the schoolmaster at Westchester, who was defeated, 
notwithstanding that he had the support of Governor Cosby, 
James De Lancey, Colonel Frederick Philipse, and other lead- 
ing supporters of the Governor. Political methods were used 



78 The Story of The Bronx 

from which our modern leaders might get pointers — the worst 
being the disfranchisement of the Quakers, who, of course, 
would not swear they were freeholders and entitled to vote; 
and the sheriff would not accept their affirmations. Not- 
withstanding the loss of the Quaker vote—amounting to 
thirty-eight — Judge Morris had a majority of eighty, his 
election being a victory of the people over the aristocracy. 
Later, the newly elected representative visited the city of 
New York and was received with high honors, all the mer- 
chant ships in the harbor firing salutes, and the people hail- 
ing him with loud acclamations when he walked the streets. 

Zenger, whose account of the election is full of naive in- 
sinuations and innuendoes, was later informed against for 
criminal libel on account of his attacks upon the government 
in the Journal. He was arrested and thrown into jail, where 
he remained for several months. His counsel at his trial were 
led by the venerable and distinguished Andrew Hamilton of 
Philadelphia, the ablest lawyer in the colonies. Though 
Chief Justice De Lancey, who presided at Zenger's trial, 
charged the jury that they could be judges of fact only, and 
not of law, and the fact of the sciu-rilous articles was admitted 
by the defence, the jury brought in a verdict of "not guilty, " 
a verdict which established the right of the press to criticise 
the public acts of government — a right which, with freedom 
of speech and of conscience, lies at the foundation of free and 
popular government. 

It will be remembered that Elias Doughty sold to Philipse, 
Delaval, and Lewis 7708 acres of Colen Donck. By June 12, 
1686, the whole tract had come into possession of Frederick 
Philipse by purchase from the heirs of the other two pro- 
prietors. In the meanwhile, Philipse had been buying land 
from the Indians and from Christian proprietors and patentees. 



As a Royal Province. 1685-1776 79 

until, in 1693, he owned an enormous tract of land extending 
virtually from Spuyten Duyvil Creek and Harlem River on 
the south to the Croton River on the north, and between The 
Bronx and Hudson rivers on the east and west. This tract 
did not include the Mile Square, nor the tracts sold to Hadden 
or to Betts and Tippett. 

On June 12, 1693, by royal charter signed by Benjamin 
Fletcher, "captain-general and governor-in-chief of our 
province of New York aforesaid," all of Philipse's purchases 
were formed into the lordship and manor of Philipseborough, 
or Philipseburgh, with the regular rights of court-baron and 
court-leet, "together with the advowson and right of patron- 
age of all and every the church or churches erected or to be 
erected or established or hereafter to be erected or established 
within the said manor of Philipseborough." The quit-rent 
was an annual payment of four pounds current money of the 
Province upon the feast day of the Annunciation of the Blessed 
Virgin Mary, payable "at our fort at New York." Included 
in this grant was the island Paparinemo, with the right of 
building a bridge across the Muscoota, or Spuyten Duyvil 
Creek, which will be more fully taken up in Chapter VIII. 

Frederick Philipse (the name is also spelt Flypse, Flypsen, 
Vlypse, and Vlypsen — i.e., the son of Philip) was a native of 
Friesland in Holland, who came to New Amsterdam before 
1653, when he was about twenty-one years of age. He worked 
at his trade of carpenter, but gradually engaged in mercantile 
pursuits until he became the richest man in the Province and 
was known in the English days as the "Dutch Millionaire." 
He made two advantageous marriages, his first wife being 
Margaret Hardenbroeck, widow of Pietrus Rudolphus De 
Vries, a wealthy merchant of New Amsterdam, whose business 
the new Mrs. Philipse continued in her own right with extra- 



8o The Story of The Bronx 

ordinary shrewdness and foresight. This was in 1662; she 
died about 1690 or '91 . The second Mrs. PhiHpse was Cather- 
ine Van Cortlandt, the sister of Stephanus Van Cortlandt and 
widow of John Dervall. 

PhiHpse was named in the order for Dongan's council and 
was a councillor for upwards of twenty years. His business 
ventures were in both the East and the West Indies and with 
the Five Nations of the Mohawk Valley. He was accused of 
having direct dealings with the island of Madagascar off the 
African coast, then the most notorious resort of pirates on the 
face of the earth. His ships supplied the pirates with rum, 
gun-powder, flour, and other necessities at exorbitant prices, 
and received in payment merchandise captured from innocent 
merchantmen. This illicit trade seems to have been consid- 
ered more or less honorable, or at least not dishonorable, in 
those days, as we find Livingston and other wealthy manor- 
lords and high officials engaged in it, until it became so scan- 
dalous that the authorities determined to put a stop to it. 
New York had become the resort for vessels which, under the 
guise of privateering, indulged in piratical exploits and sold 
their spoils in New York. 

The person selected to stop this nefarious custom was 
Captain William Kidd, who was recommended to the Governor 
by PhiHpse, Livingston, and others; but who, finding his crew 
willing, hoisted the black flag and began the career that has 
sent his name down the centuries. He was finally captured, 
tried, convicted, and hanged ; but was reticent to the last and 
would not expose his backers. A large portion of his spoils 
could not be accounted for, which has led to the tradition that 
he buried them along the American shores, an especially 
favorite location being Gardiner's Island and other places 
in Long Island Sound. Probably, the Governor, Lord Bello- 



As a Royal Province. 1685-1776 8i 

mont, knew whereof he spoke when he said that "Kidd's 
missing treasure could be readily found if the coffers of 
Frederick Philipse were searched." 

The connection of Philipse with the illegal traffic at last 
became so notorious that a petition, supported by depositions, 
asking for his removal from the council was presented to the 
home government; and, anticipating his removal, Philipse 
resigned his membership in the council, 1698, retired to his 
manor and bent his energies to its development. 

Margaret Hardenbroeck had a daughter, Eva, by her first 
husband, De Vries, whom Philipse legally adopted as his own. 
She married Jacobus Van Cortlandt, brother of Stephanus 
and of Catherine, Philipse's second wife. Philipse sold to 
him fifty acres on George's Point — a bend in Tippett's Brook — 
with one and one half acres of meadow and twenty-five acres 
of upland on October 10, 1699. This property had been 
bought from Doughty by Hadden, who, on February 22, 1670, 
sold George's Point to Mathias Buckhout, who, subsequently, 
January 22, 1694, conveyed it to Frederick Philipse. On 
August 13, 1 701, Clause Dewilt, Karacapacomont, and Neme- 
ran, native Indians and former proprietors, "remised, released, 
and quit-claimed unto the said Jacobus Van Cortlandt, and 
to the heirs of the Betts and Tippetts, and to their heirs and 
assigns forever, all our right, title, and interest which we ever 
had, now have, or hereafter may have or claim to the said 
tract of land called the old Younckers. " The property above 
described became the nucleus of the Van Cortlandt estate, 
now included within the park of that name. 

The purchasers of the other sections of Colen Donck did 
not become prominent as great landholders; they were, speak- 
ing generally, quiet farmer folk, who gradually disposed of 
their holdings to other people like themselves or to their 



82 The Story of The Bronx 

wealthier and more aristocratic neighbors, Philipse or Van 
Cortlandt; in fact, the Van Cortlandt estate was made up of 
the Hadden tract and a large part of the Betts and Tippett 
tract. Hadden, having lost his two sons-in-law, returned to 
Westchester. Descendants of Betts and Tippett held portions 
of the ancestral domain until the beginning of the last century. 
The neck upon which the village of Spuy ten Duy vil is situated 
was called Tippett's Neck, and the ridge up which the present 
Riverdale Avenue goes is called Tippett's Hill; but that by 
which the name of the former proprietor is best preserved is 
Tippett's Brook, the Mosholu of the Indians. Jacobus Van 
Cortlandt dammed this brook about 1700, forming the lake 
above, and erected a mill; below the dam it is a tidal stream. 

The name De Lancey has already appeared in the report of 
the case of Chief Justice Lewis Morris, his subsequent election 
to the Assembly, and at the Zenger trial. The first De Lancey 
came to America in 1686; this was Etienne, or Stephen, De 
Lancey, a French Huguenot, who fled from France after the 
Revocation of the Edict of Nantes by Louis XIV. in 1685. 
He became a successful and wealthy merchant, and married 
Ann, the second daughter of Stephanus Van Cortlandt. 
Their eldest son was James De Lancey, who was sent to 
Cambridge, England, to be educated. In 1729, when only 
twenty-six years of age, he became a member of the Governor's 
council, and two years later an associate justice of the Supreme 
Court of the Province, becoming chief justice in 1733, upon the 
removal of Judge Morris. His actions during this period 
rendered him unpopular, as he upheld the royal prerogatives 
as exemplified in the actions of the royal governors. Later, 
he severed his adherence to the party of the Governor, and 
in revenge Governor Clinton withheld his appointment as 
Lieutenant-Governor for six years, or until his own departure 



P u n o s 




Ph 



Ph 






As a Royal Province. 1685-1776 83 

for England in October, 1753. Clinton's successor, Sir 
Danvers Osborn, met with opposition from the Assembly 
almost from the moment of his arrival, and in a fit of dejection 
he hanged himself. He had already shown a tendency to 
mental aberration, due to family loss. 

The governorship therefore fell upon Lieutenant-Governor 
De Lancey, and so acceptably did he fill the office that the 
home government made no appointment as Governor until 
after De Lancey 's death in 1760. He married Ann Heathcote 
who, with her sister Martha (Johnson) , inherited the manor of 
Scarsdale from their father, Colonel Caleb Heathcote; and 
De Lancey thus became a great landholder in the county of 
Westchester. His three sons were all Tories in the subsequent 
dissensions. The youngest, John Peter, served as a major 
on the British side, but afterwards established himself at 
Mamaroneck, where he built a mansion on the site formerly 
occupied by the manor-house of his grandfather, which had 
been accidentally burned previous to the Revolution. John 
Peter's daughter, Susan Augusta, married James Fenimore 
Cooper, the famous novelist; another daughter married 
Macadam, the famous road builder. 

A younger brother of the Lieutenant-Governor was 
Peter De Lancey, who settled himself at West Farms and 
operated the old Richardson and Byvanck mills. In con- 
sequence, he was generally known as "Peter of the Mills." 
He represented the borough-town in the Assembly from 
1750 to 1768. Of his three sons, John reached high politi- 
cal office, James was high sheriff of the county from 1770 
to 1777, but is better known as the famous commander of 
the. regiment of loyalists called the Westchester Light Horse, ^ 

' For a fuller account of this famous corps of Tories, the reader is referred 
to the author's novel, A Princess and Another. 



84 The Story of The Bronx 

and Oliver, an officer in the British navy, who resigned his 
commission rather than fight against his native country. 

Of the Willetts, who, through Susan, the daughter of Thomas 
Cornell, inherited Cornell's Neck, we have already spoken. 

The manor of Pelham fell to John Pell, nephew of the first 
owner, who alienated two thirds of it to Leisler for the Hugue- 
not settlement of New Rochelle. The remainder came into 
the hands of successive manor-lords until the Revolution. 
The family, though an eminently respectable one, was not so 
prominent in public affairs as those that have been mentioned. 
There were, however, many intermarriages with the other 
leading families. 

The first of the Leggett family was Gabriel, who came 
from Essex, England, in 1661. Through his wife, Elizabeth 
Richardson, daughter and co-heiress of John Richardson, who, 
with Edward Jessup, was the original patentee of West Farms, 
a large part of that patent came into his possession and has 
remained in that of his descendants to this day. 

Chief Justice Lewis Morris, usually called Senior, died at 
an advanced age in 1746. His successor in the lordship of the 
manor of Morrisania was his second son Lewis, usually called 
Junior, who was a judge in several courts and assemblyman 
for the county, spending his whole life in public affairs. Upon 
his death in 1762, the manor devolved upon his son, Lewis 
Morris, Third, representative in the Continental Congress 
and one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. 
Before serving his country in a civil capacity, he had been a 
brigadier-general in the army of the Congress. He was born 
in 1726 and died in 1798. His half-brother, Gouverneur 
Morris, was United States Minister to France at the time of 
the Directory, and was otherwise famous in United States 
history. The Morris family has numerous branches, and many 



As a Royal Province. 1685-1776 85 

of its members have borne distinguished parts in the making 
of the State and of the city and the nation; in the army and 
in the navy, at the bar or on the bench, in the pulpit or in 
medicine, or engaged in other professions or in mercantile 
pursuits. 



CHAPTER V 

MANNERS AND CUSTOMS IN COLONIAL DAYS 

AS has already been stated, the earHest Dutchmen who 
came to New Netherland were traders and not set- 
tlers. If they found their way into the wilds north 
of the Harlem River, as from time to time they did, it was to 
barter with the Indians for pelts, or to hunt and trap the wild 
animals which everywhere abounded. Their stay was only 
temporary; a rude hut, a cover of boughs, or the canopy of 
heaven itself, furnished them with sufficient covering in the 
way of habitation. The few settlers who did come in before 
1645 were driven out by the Indian wars of Keift's adminis- 
tration, and the country returned to its natural condition of 
a wilderness. In the decade before the English occupation, 
as we have seen, permanent settlers began to come in ; and 
from this time forward there was a slow but steady improve- 
ment in the land and an increase in the population. 

Man's first necessity is food; his second is protection from 
the weather and a place to sleep; and his third, clothing to 
cover and protect his body. To acquire these three things, 
a civilized man entering a wilderness would naturally become 
a farmer; and this we find to be so of the early settlers. In 
fact, it was not until well into the nineteenth century that 
Westchester County, and especially that portion of it within 
the Borough, ceased to be an exclusively agricultural section 

and became at all a manufacturing one. 

86 



Manners and Customs in Colonial Days 87 

The country possessed a fairly fertile soil, with heavy wood- 
lands covering the rolHng hills and valleys, while springs, 
brooks, and streams abounded. The settler, having chosen 
his holding with reference to abundant water, began his clear- 
ing and planted his wheat, maize, rye, and other cereals, and 
his peach, apple, and cherry trees; while nature supplied him 
with many varieties of berries. The trees which he had cut 
down were, by means of the axe and the adze, cut into proper 
lengths, notched and trimmed, and the log-house of the Ameri- 
can pioneer became his habitation. Sometimes it had only a 
single story, sometimes a story and a half; in the latter case, 
access was had to the upper part by a rude flight of steps on the 
outside, or by a perpendicular ladder within. Two rooms 
constituted the bedroom and kitchen, the latter being the gen- 
eral living room in which the family gathered, not only at meal 
times, but at all other times when their occupations did not 
call them out of doors. The roofs were high gables, covered 
with split shingles; and when the cabin possessed the dignity 
of an upper story, the roof was pierced with one or more dormer 
windows. When settlers of a higher class or possessed of more 
means came into the country, the sides of the houses were cov- 
ered with shingles as well as the roofs, which latter became of 
that double slant called gambril. 

Westchester County was not so distinctively Dutch as 
Rockland and other up-river counties, nor was the Dutch 
tongue spoken for so long a time. The Dutch settler usually 
built his house of stone with a large door, the lower half and 
the upper half being swung separately, so that the upper half 
could be opened for light and ventilation, while the lower half 
remained shut, to prevent the egress of the small children and 
the ingress of poultry, pigs, or other domestic animals. The 
windows were made of small panes of glass and were protected 



88 The Story of The Bronx 

by strong shutters hung on heavy wrought-iron hinges, and 
kept open by a large catch shaped like the letter " S. " A porch, 
or stoep, extended, if not across the front of the house, at least 
in front of the doorway. In the kitchen was a huge fire-place 
which might consume a cord of wood a day, and within whose 
generous dimensions, in the winter time, the whole family, 
including the cat and the dog, could find accommodation. The 
beds were great four-posters, the bottom of sacking, through 
which stout ropes were drawn and fastened to pegs on the 
frame, while upon this was piled the mattress or feather beds. 
In poorer houses, clean straw or hay thrown upon the floor, 
or in shelves or bunks built for the purpose, answered all the 
purposes of beds. 

The houses of the manor-lords and the wealthy English 
and Dutch gentlemen and merchants were substantially built 
of stone, or of black, yellow, and red bricks especially imported 
from Holland or England. They usually consisted of two 
stories and an attic, the latter for the use of the servants. The 
houses were large, comfortable, and roomy; the last often a 
necessity in the case of the Dutch, whose families showed they 
came of a prolific race. Not only the necessities of life aboun- 
ded, but also many of the luxuries. The furniture was of 
mahogany, the rooms wainscotted, the fire-places of tiles bear- 
ing extracts from the Scriptures or pictures illustrating Bibli- 
cal scenes, while silver and pewter utensils and fine Delft or 
other china were in constant use. In later times, fine pictures 
by AUston, Sully, Peale, and other artists hung upon the walls, 
and some of the best European artists were represented there. 
The manor-house of the Philipses at Yonkers is a remaining 
example of many of these homes of the wealthy gentry. The 
carved oak and ornamental ceiHngs, doors, and walls, done 
by workmen imported for the purpose, still show the taste and 



Manners and Customs in Colonial Days 89 

wealth of the owners. It must not be thought that these gentry- 
belonged to the idle class ; on the contrary, they were practical 
farmers, merchants, or professional men ; for idleness was one of 
the deadly sins, and several European visitors, as well as the offi- 
cers of the French army under Rochambeau, have left their tes- 
timony to the activity of the gentry of the American colonies. 
The pasturage was excellent, and cattle, sheep, and swine 
had free range of the woods. The Labadist missionaries who 
visited New York in 1679 expressed surprise at the nimiber, 
size, and lusciousness of the peaches, and noted the fact that, 
while many of them lay upon the ground, the hogs paid little 
attention to them, as the hogs were apparently already gorged. 
The cattle not only furnished milk and meat, but their hides 
supplied the foot-wear of the family, being made into shoes by 
the itinerant shoemaker on his yearly or half-yearly visits. 
From the sheep was obtained wool, and flax was early planted 
and cultivated; the hand loom stood in every household and 
converted them into woollen cloth and into linen thread and 
sheeting. The thread was of extraordinary strength and the 
linen of a satiny texture. His homespun not only clothed the 
farmer and his family, but he was able to send his surplus to 
New York, whence it was sent to other parts of the coast and 
to Europe. Tobacco was also added to the planting field, as 
everybody smoked; and the Dutch were, beyond all others, 
consumers of the fragrant weed. Added to these, the woods 
abounded in wild birds and game, and deer were plentiful. 
The waters of the Sound, the Harlem, and the Hudson, and of 
the innumerable brooks and streams supplied the settlers 
with fish ; so that of food there was a plenty, evexi upon the 
tables of the poorest, while upon the tables of the well-to-do 
there was such variety and profusion as to arouse the com- 
ment of such Europeans as visited the colony. 



90 The Story of The Bronx 

The dress of the yeoman class was in keeping with their cir- 
cumstances. The women dressed plainly in serviceable and 
durable homespun. For Sundays and "frolics," a ribbon or 
other gewgaw could be purchased from the Yankee peddler 
who began to make his stated rounds with his pack. The 
ordinary dress of the yeoman himself was homespun in svan- 
mer ; while in winter it consisted of leather breeches and apron, 
as cloth was too expensive — ^about a guinea a yard — for his 
purse. The stockings were made of wool raised on his own 
farm and knitted by his women folks. The Dutch adhered to 
their distinctive dress of voluminous petticoats and breeches, 
so humorously described by Irving ; but as time passed inter- 
marriages occurred between the two races, racial characteris- 
tics disappeared, and the population became homogeneous. 

The wealthy classes dressed as luxuriously as they lived. 
They followed the fashions of Europe, though from one to two 
years late. Silks, satins, broadcloth, taffetas, velvets, bro- 
cades, lutestrings, moire antique, chintzes, constantly appear 
in the inventories of the period. The gentlemen wore their 
silk stockings and shoes with silver buckles, while their 
coats and vests were ornamented with silver buttons usually 
made of coins; while the ladies were as anxious to show their 
fine silk clocked stockings and high-heeled kid slippers as they 
are to-day. The head-gear of the men was a three-cornered 
hat surmounted with lace or cockade as their means allowed 
or the occasion required. Their hair was covered by a wig 
finely dressed and powdered. In time, the matter of wigs 
became so extravagant that the law attempted to regulate it 
by placing a tax of "three shillings on every inhabitant, resi- 
dent, or sojourner, young or old, within the colony, that wears 
a wig or peruke made of human or horse hair mixed, by what- 
ever denomination the same may be distinguished." The 



Manners and Customs in Colonial Days 91 

craze for wigs extended even to the lowest classes, and the 
sailors and the rustics imitated their betters by permitting 
their hair to grow long and weaving in with it horse hair in 
order to give it length and quantity, the whole being protected 
by an eelskin. By the time of the Revolution, people began 
once more to wear their own hair, dressed into a queue and 
plentifully sprinkled with powder, which, however, became so 
scarce during the war that flour was substituted. 

The women followed the whole range of fashions in the 
matter of head-dress, even to the towering mountain of hair 
which stood above the head higher than the length of the face 
below it. The French Revolution effected a change in this 
respect, and the ancient republics of Greece not only furnished 
democratic ideals of government for the French party, but 
fashions as well for their imitators in America. The head cov- 
ering varied from a simple hood of linen for the women of the 
lower classes, to the immense beaver with feathers, buckles, 
and lace worn by their wealthier sisters. Cloth was so expen- 
sive that it was no infrequent thing for a man in moderate 
circtmistances to have a suit turned inside out when it began 
to show wear, in order to make it last longer and to save 
expense. The shoemaker, as mentioned above, not only trav- 
elled from place to place, but the tailor and mantua-maker, or 
dressmaker, as well ; they were, in fact, journeymen. 

There was a great distinction between the various classes 
of society. It was to be expected in an English colony — and 
New York was probably the most aristocratic of them all — • 
that the social distinctions of Old England should be trans- 
planted to the new field. There were, then, three classes in 
the social scale: the gentry, the tradesmen, and the yeomanry, 
of whom the last were, of course, the most numerous. The 
line between the gentry, those of landed estates or descended 



92 The Story of The Bronx 

from those who were gentlemen at home, as they usually called 
England, and the other classes was strongly marked. While, 
perhaps, the upper classes were not supercilious nor the lower 
obsequious, there was condescension on the one hand and 
deference on the other. The influx of New Englanders, whose 
democratic ideas rendered them obnoxious to the phlegmatic 
Dutch as well as to the English New Yorker, tended to break 
down this barrier, and the Revolution and the Constitution 
together swept it away at the end of the eighteenth century. 
Some historians, so far as New York is concerned, ascribe the 
revolt against the mother country to the higher classes, whose 
interests or ambitions led them into it. That they did not 
voice the great mass of the population, nor carry it with them, 
is shown very strikingly in Westchester County, which became 
Tory, or at least remained neutral — or as neutral as the con- 
tending parties allowed it to be — during the struggle. The 
mass of the inhabitants considered the strife as one in which 
their betters had a greater stake then they themselves. 

The principal cause of the difference in caste was due to the 
land tenure. Many of the farrhers were tenants of the landed 
gentry, occupying their lands on long and liberal leases, which 
did not, at first, begin to pay the landlords for their expense 
in obtaining settlers, but which, as time passed, became 
valuable. The New Englanders frequently preferred the 
leasehold property to holding property in fee. In the former 
case, they could, if seized by that desire for improvement oi 
which Irving speaks, quit at the expiration of the lease or even 
before, by disposing of their betterments to a new-comer and 
migrating to "green fields and pastures new." If they were 
owners in fee, they were, to a certain extent, bound to the land 
which they owned. There thus existed between landlord and 
tenant that relation which has prevailed in England since 



Manners and Customs in Colonial Days 93 

Saxon days, and which, in our own, sets off by themselves a 
class of gentlemen who are known distinctively as landed 
gentry. 

It will be remembered that slavery was introduced into the 
mainland of America by the Dutch, when a vessel of that 
nationality sold to the planters at Jamestown, Virginia, a num- 
ber of negro slaves in 16 19. One of the earliest promises held 
out to prospective settlers in New Amsterdam by the Com- 
pany was that a sufficient number of negro slaves would be 
furnished to the settlers. The institution of slavery existed 
all through Dutch and English days, and even after New York 
became a State. ' Slaves, however, were not held in large 
numbers as in the southern colonies, nor were they usually 
provided with separate quarters. They ordinarily slept in 
the attics or upper stories of the houses of their masters, and 
ate their meals in the kitchens after their master and his family 
had finished. They were members of the family, and the 
farmer who owned one or two worked in the fields alongside 
of them, the same as the small farmer does to-day with his 
hired men. Their owners treated them kindly, and did not 
have unlimited power over them in the way of punishment. 
Flogging was not alone for blacks, but for whites also. The 
Dutch, in particular, treated their black dependents with 
much kindness and humanity. During the seventeenth cen- 
tury, the value of a negro was about one hundred dollars in 
our money, of a negress, two hundred dollars. The traffic 
began to decline in 1718; and in 1755, there were but seventy- 
three African slaves in the whole county of Westchester. 

' When it was a pretty certai i fact that slavery was to be abolished in 
the State, many of those who owned slaves sent them into the Southern 
States for sale, so that there would be no loss of property or money. The 
plan of freeing the slaves was one of gradual manumission, and the last 
slave held in New York State was one belonging to the Morris family (1827). 



94 The Story of The Bronx 

Indians were also reduced to a condition of slavery in the early 
days of the colony, but the Indian has never shown himself to 
be capable of hard manual labor — that he has left to his squaw. 
Captain Graydon of the American army, while a prisoner at 
Flatbush during the Revolution, wrote: "Their blacks, when 
they had them, were very free and familiar; sometimes saun- 
tering among the whites at meal time, with hat on head, and 
freely joining occasionally in conversation, as if they were one 
and all of the same family." Notwithstanding this familiarity, 
there was no "amalgamation" between the two races until the 
coming of the British army; and the first appearance of a 
mulatto child "produced emotions of surprise and dislike." 

At the session of the State Legislature of 1817, Governor 
Tompkins recommended the passage of an act abolishing 
slavery in the State from and after July 4, 1827. By a previous 
act of the Legislature under date of March 29, 1799: "Every 
child bom within this State after the 4th day of April, 1799, 
shall be free, but shall remain the servant of his or her mother 
until the age of twenty-eight years, if a boy, and twenty-five 
years if a girl." This was supplemented by another act of 
April 8, 1801 ; and the Legislature of 18 17 unanimously adopted 
the recommendation of the Governor, abolishing slavery com- 
pletely in 1827. 

Another kind of enforced labor was also employed in the 
colony, that of the indentured, or bond servant. This was a 
man or woman who, desirous of coming to the New World, 
received a passage from the ship-master, with the agreement 
that upon arrival his or her services were to be sold for a 
certain period, usually five years, to the highest bidder; the 
ship-master pocketed the sum paid and was thus reimbursed 
for his trouble and expense. Sometimes persons were tre- 
panned in England and disposed of in this way by persons 



Manners and Customs in Colonial Days 95 

whose interests would be favorably affected by the disappear- 
ance of the seized person.' The person whose services were 
disposed of became legally bound to the buyer, who thus 
became the owner, or master, of the bond-servant until the 
expiration of the term of service, when the servant became 
free. The same laws and penalties, practically, appUed to a 
runaway bond-servant as to a runaway slave. 

The class of indentured servants was not composed of the 
vicious and the wicked. Most of them were poor and unfor- 
tunate and thought they could do better in a new land than 
in the thickly settled countries of Europe; sometimes pique 
drove them to the step, sometimes disappointed love, or dis- 
sipation, or disappointment. But there was another class of 
servants composed of criminals and malefactors who were sold 
into the plantations for life or for a certain period of time 
as determined by the judges who sentenced them. Their 
services were sold to the highest bidder as in the case of the in- 
dentured servant. When we recall the ntmiber of crimes that 
were capital in England, even up to the nineteenth century, we 
may believe that those who escaped the hangman were not 
usually guilty of what we should consider in these days very 
heinous crimes. Of these transported men and women, com- 
paratively few reached New York ; there was a greater demand 
for them in the southern colonies and in the West Indies. 

In regard to crimes and misdemeanors, the English laws 
prevailed, with such additions and modifications as the con- 
ditions of a new country would require. There was the same 
long, ghastly list of capital crimes ; and the stocks, the pillory, 
and the whipping-post stood always ready for the minor 
offenders. In the court records of the borough-town of West- 

' The uncle of David Balfour, in Stevenson's story, Kidnapped, at- 
tempted to get rid of his nephew in this way. 



96 The Story of The Bronx 

Chester is the case of one offender, convicted of " hogg stealing," 
who was sentenced to pay eleven pounds for the stolen ani- 
mals, or to receive forty lashes upon the back. There is 
another record of one member of a jury "hanging" the jury 
and being fined by the court therefor. The case of Judge 
Morris shows that there were honorable, upright men upon 
the bench, and this, too, at a time when the English judiciary 
had not lost its subserviency to the crown, nor completely 
departed from the harsh and brutal manners instituted by the 
infamous Jeffreys. 

Education among the rural Dutch was a much neglected 
quantity. There were schools in New Amsterdam and in 
Beverwyck (later, Albany); but in the country districts the 
mother was the teacher, and the Bible and the Catechism the 
only text-books; so that the Dutchman, while not illiterate, 
was certainly uneducated. The children of the better classes 
had more advantages and were sometimes sent to the great 
University of Leyden, especially if the young man intended to 
become a dominie. The daughters were trained to be house- 
wives and mothers; to cook and to clean with that thorough- 
ness which has become proverbial of the Dutch, to sew and to 
knit, to spin and to weave, and to take care of the poultry and 
the household generally. 

It wa,s not until the days of the English that anything in the 
way of schools was established, and these were far from our 
modern idea of a rural school. In the more eastern portions 
of the county, adjacent to Connecticut and settled by the 
people of that colony, the school-house was earlier established, 
the Yankee necessity of a school having been recognized by the 
General Court, or Legislature, of Massachusetts as early as 
1645-47, arid carried by Winthrop, Davenport, and others into 
the colony of Connecticut from the mother colony. The 



Manners and Customs in Colonial Days 97 

Connecticut settlers of the "Ten Farms" at Eastchester early- 
set aside a piece of land for school purposes and erected a 
school-house in 1683. The same site was occupied for school 
purposes for a period of about two hundred years. The 
English settlers of Westchester, early established a school. 

The school and schoolmaster there were maintained by the 
Propagation Society, the latter being assigned from London 
and paid an allowance by the society. The inhabitants also 
contributed toward the support of both, and the school- 
master assisted the rector by instructing his pupils in the 
Catechism. The first recorded schoolmaster in Westchester 
was Edward Fitzgerald, in 1709. 

October 30, 1709, the Reverend John Bartow writes: 
"We want very much a fixed school at Westchester; if Mr. 
Daniel Clark, my neighbor, now in England, should wait upon 
you, desirous of that employment, I recommend him as a 
person worthy of it; being of good report, a constant com- 
municant, and, being a clergyman's son, has had a pious and 
learned education." The recommendation was apparently 
effective, as Mr. Daniel Clark was schoolmaster from 17 10 to 

1713- 

In this latter year, according to the reports of the society: 
" Mr. Charles Glover is appointed schoolmaster at Westchester 
with a salary of £18 per annum, as he is recommended under 
the character of a person, sober and diligent, well affected to 
the Church of England, and competently skilled in reading, 
writing, arithmetic, psalmody, and the Latin tongue, provided 
he comply with the Society's rules in sending certificates of 
the number of his scholars." He held the position until 1719. 
The society's abstracts for that year say: "To Mr. WilHam 
Forster, schoolmaster at Westchester, who has been recom- 
mended as a person very well qualified to instruct the youth 



98 The Story of The Bronx 

in the principles of religion and virtue, ten pounds per annum 
is allowed; and a gratuity of £io has been given him, in con- 
sideration of his past services and his present circumstances." 

In an abstract of the same year, Mr. Forster reports: "I 
have at present thirty-five scholars, whom I catechise every 
Saturday, and also every Sunday that Mr. Bartow goes to 
another part of the parish." Also, from an extract of 1720: 
"from Mr. Forster, schoolmaster at Westchester in the Prov- 
ince of New York, that he takes all the care he can of the 
children which are sent to him, and has upwards of thirty 
scholars, which he instructs in the Church Catechism." 

In 1722, Mr. Bartow reports "that they are repairing the 
church there [Westchester] with the voluntary contributions 
of the people, procured chiefly by the zeal and care of Mr. 
Forster, the schoolmaster there." 

In 1724, in answer to questions from the society, Mr. Bartow 
gives an exact account of his cure. He writes: 

"Question — Have you in your parish any public school for 
the instruction of youth; if you have, is it endowed, and who is 
the master? 

"Answer — We have a public school at Westchester, of which 
Mr. Forster is the society's schoolmaster, and we have private 
schools in other places; no endowment; some families of the 
Town of Pelham that are adjacent come to Eastchester 
church." 

In November, 1729, the Reverend Mr. Standard answers 
the same questions as follows: 

"I say there are three schools and three schoolmasters. 
The first school is at Westchester, William Forrester, master, 
who has a salary from the Venerable Society, whom we 
have the honor to serve. The second is at Eastchester, one 
Delpech, master, who is very well adapted and fitted for that 



Manners and Customs in Colonial Days 99 

business and is well spoken of as being diligent in it: the 
third is at New Rochelle, where both French and English are 
taught. The two last have no other encouragement than 
what the parents of the children taught, do give." 

Mr. Forster remained as schoolmaster until 1743. That 
he became a person of considerable consequence is shown by the 
fact that in 1733 he was put up by the strong De Lancey 
party as the opponent of Judge Lewis Morris in the election of 
that year for representative in the Assembly. 

In 1744, Mr. Basil Bartow was appointed schoolmaster at the 
request of the church authorities. The King's commissary 
reported as follows: 

"He is the son of the Rev. John Bartow, late the Society's 
worthy missionary there. He is a person of good temper^ 
sober, and pious, and well affected to the present govern- 
ment; conformable to the doctrine and discipline of the 
Church, and exceedingly well qualified for the instruction of 
children." 

Mr. Bartow remained as schoolmaster for nearly twenty 
years, or until 1762, when we learn from the report of Rector 
Milner: "that the school is still vacant, and deprived of 
a teacher, but I petition the Society to continue their bounty 
to some worthy person who shall be chosen schoolmaster; as 
the school is a nursery for the Church and of great service in 
these parts." 

In 1763, he writes again : 

"I express my own and my people's sense of the favour 
done us, in giving us leave to choose a schoolmaster for 
this place, tho' we have not yet been able to find a person 
properly qualified for the office." In 1764, he writes; "I 



100 The Story of The Bronx 

have, in pursuance of the powers given me by the Society, 
appointed Mr. Nathaniel Seabury, a son of the late worthy 
missionary at Hempstead, Long Island, to be schoolmaster 
at Westchester." 

Nathaniel Seabury was the brother of the Reverend Samuel 
Seabury, later, rector of the parish. He remained as school- 
master till 1768, when he was succeeded by George Youngs, 
whose services lasted until 1772. The position was apparently 
vacant till 1774, when Mr. Gott became the holder of the 
office and continued in it until the Revolution. After that, 
the school ceased to be an appanage of the church and became 
an object of support from the town. According to the town 
records, the first public school in Westchester was established 
in 1798. Later, the township was divided into three school 
districts: Westchester Village, Bear Swamp and Throgg's 
Neck. The present fine building in Westchester was erected 
by the city in 1897. 

THE VENERABLE PROPAGATION SOCIETY'S SCHOOLMASTERS AT 
WESTCHESTER 



Time of 










Appointment 


Schoolmasters 




Salary 


1709 


Edward Fitzgerald 


18 


pounds 


per annum 


1710 


Daniel Clark 


(< 






1713 


Charles Glover 


<< 






1719 


William Forster 


10 






1743 


Basil Bartow 


(( 






1764 


Nathaniel Seabury 


<< 






1768 


George Youngs 


It 






1774 


Mr. Gott 


It 







The occupation of the various sections of the Borough dur- 
ing the first half of the eighteenth century by a class of English- 
men, who may be termed gentlemen farmers, rendered the 



Manners and Customs in Colonial Days loi 

matter of education for their children a very important one; 
and it was met by the employment of a schoolmaster by 
families living within a convenient distance of the schoolhouse, 
or of the residence of one of the inhabitants used for the 
purpose, each family paying in proportion to the number of 
children sent. The schoolmaster was frequently the minister, 
who added to his small stipend by giving instruction in the 
three "R's" and in the rudiments of the humanities. 

The Reverend John Peter Tetard, commonly known as 
"Dominie Tetard," was born in Switzerland and graduated 
from the University of Lausanne. He preached to French 
congregations at Charleston, S. C. and in the city of New York, 
and, after his removal to Kingsbridge, at Fordham church. 
In 1772, he opened a French boarding-school at Kingsbridge, 
on the height overlooking the present railroad station, which is 
called after him, Tetard's Hill. Here he taught not only the 
French language, but "the most useful sciences, such as 
geography, the doctrine of the spheres, ancient and modern 
history, etc." 

In Rivington's Gazette of February 23, 1775, there appears 
the following advertisement: 

"To the Public, Samuel Seabury, M.A., Rector of the Parish 
of Westchester, hath opened a School in that Town, and 
offers his Services to prepare young Gentlemen for the 
College, the Compting-House, or any genteel Business for 
which Parents or Guardians may design them. . . . Board 
(Washing included) may be had in unexceptionable Families, 
at about twenty Pounds per Ann. and the Tuition will be at 
six Pounds, New York Currency, and eight Shillings for 
Fire- wood." 

In fact, the home churches that sent ministers to the colony 
intended that they should not only preach the gospel, but 



102 The Story of The Bronx 

also educate the youth of both sexes. Sometimes, a Yankee 
pedagogue^ — a graduate of Yale, perhaps — would occupy the 
position, which then, more than now, was a position of honor; 
as the " scholemaster " was, in addition to his position in the 
school, clerk, chorister, and visitor to the sick, or almoner, 
and often a member of the corporation. 

After obtaining all the education it was possible for the local 
schoolmaster to impart, and having reached the mature age 
of twelve or thirteen, the pupil was ready for Yale College or 
Nassau Hall at Princeton, the latter being generally preferred. 
The sons of the wealthiest merchants were sometimes educated 
in the English colleges ; and when King's College (now Colum- 
bia University) was founded, it received its share of the co- 
lonial youth. At the age of eighteen or twenty, the young man 
took his degree, and was then an educated gentleman ; but the 
education imparted at the best of the colleges did not surpass 
that of our best high schools of the present day. Yet an edu- 
cation that could produce such graduates as Jefferson, Morris, 
Izard, Adams, and many others of like fame and character, 
must have been very thorough. It was not until long after 
the establishment of the new government that the matter of 
education became one of general importance and one of which 
the State took cognizance and control. 

No newspapers were published in Westchester County until 
long after the Revolution, but it is stated that the colonial 
newsletters and journals were eagerly read and discussed by 
the inhabitants, many of whom were subscribers.^ 

' Ichabod Crane, in Irving's Legend of Sleepy Hollow, and Jason New- 
come, in Cooper's tale of Satanstoe, will be recalled. 

'The first newspaper published in the Borough was the Westchester 
Patriot, which was issued by a Mr. Lopez at West Farms for a short time 
in 1 8 12. The Westchester Gazette was commenced in Morrisania in 1849. 
Stephen Angell was editor for some time, but the paper was discontinued 



Manners and Customs in Colonial Days 103 

As already stated, the occupation of the inhabitants was 
fanning. Several travellers through the county in later co- 
lonial days have left their impressions of what they observed, 
and state that even in the large villages each resident had 
his farm of several acres, so that neighbors were not very 
close ones. Nor was it necessary that they should be; for the 
Indian had been brought into subjection, and had, by 1750, 
retired to the wilder regions of the Highlands, where, at Lake 
Osceola, he had his last village before dying away forever as 
a race. Single families or members of the aboriginal owners 
of the soil might be found occasionally scattered through the 
county, supporting themselves by hunting and fishing, or 
by making brooms and baskets. Even the mechanics, the 
carpenters, the masons, the painters, the blacksmiths, were 
farmers in a small way in addition to their trades. The 
tavern-keeper and the store-keeper also had their farms ad- 
joining their tavern or store. 

There was no manufacturing worthy of the name; some hats 
were made of the skin of the beaver, which could be found 
in nearly all the streams. Manufacturing did not begin until 
the days immediately preceding the Revolution, when the 

about 1856. The Westchester Co. Gazette, an organ for the Old and New 
Villages [of Morrisania], was first published at West Farms in 1849 by- 
John T. Cogswell, but was removed to Mott Haven on August 5, 1850. 
A Democratic paper, the Westchester Co. Journal, was issued by James 
StiUman in 1853; and the Westchester Times was published by Dubois B. 
Frisbee in 1864. There are now published in the Borough two daily 
papers, the Bronx Borough Record and Times, Republican, and the North 
Side News, Democratic. The weekly edition of the first began in 1864 
and the daily in March, 1902; the latter was first published as a weekly 
in 1897, and as a daily in October, 1901. The following weekly papers 
are also published: the Union at Melrose (Democratic, 1869); the Globe 
(Republican), the Sentinel (Independent), the Independent (Democratic), 
all in Westchester Village; the Bullethi (Independent) in the Twenty- 
third Ward; the German-American (Democratic) at Wakefield, and the 
Bronx Home News, (Independent, January, 1907.) 



104 The Story of The Bronx 

Non-Importation agreement forced the colonists to make many- 
goods which they had previously bought in England. Besides, 
the English laws forbade manufacturing in the colonies, in 
order to give the British manufacturer a monopoly, which was 
further secured to him by the obnoxious Navigation laws. 
During the war, the American was thrown on his own resources 
for many articles which he could not smuggle in from the 
Dutch ports in the West Indies, and was forced into making 
many articles of necessity. 

Grist-mills and saw-mills were located wherever there was 
sufficient water power, as on Tippett's Brook, which was 
dammed for the purpose, or on Eastchester Creek, where the 
rise and fall of the tide gave power to turn the undershot wheel 
of Reid's mill. It is probable that Jonas Bronk bmlt a mill 
about three miles from the mouth of the river which bears his 
name. 

On August 1 6, 1680, the town of Westchester gave to Rich- 
ardson and Jessup, the owners of the West Farms, the privi- 
lege of locating a saw-mill and a grist-mill upon the Bronx 
River. On April 2, 171 1, this privilege, together with one 
saw-mill and three grist-miUs, was conveyed by Tryntje 
Byvanck, widow of Evert Byvanck, to William Provost, from 
whom it passed to the original Etienne, or Stephen, De Lancey, 
who, by will dated March 4, 1735, devised "unto my son Peter 
and to his heirs, all my mills, mill-house, mill-boat, farm and 
land, and all and every the appurtenances thereunto belonging, 
situate and being in the county of Westchester, upon Bronck's 
river, lately known as the mills of William Richardson." In 
consequence of this inheritance, , the heir became known as 
"Peter of the Mills," and the locality as De Lancey's Mills, as 
well as West Farms. 

Mill Brook, which divided the manor of Morrisania into 



Manners and Customs in Colonial Days 105 

two nearly equal parts, derived its name from the presence 
of mills upon its banks. The date of their erection is uncer- 
tain ; but in the will of Colonel Lewis Morris, first of the name, 
of the date of February 7, 1690, he bequeaths to his wife, 
Mary Morris, "the lands thereof cont'g about 2000 acres best 
m or 1, tog'r with all houses, barns, mills, etc." 

In 1666, Governor NicoUs granted "certain saw-mills to 
Thomas Delaval, John Verveelen, and Daniel Turner, &c., 
lying over against Vercher's or Hogg Island, in the Sound, 
where a passage hath been made to ford over from this island 
to the maine." These mills must have been on the Bronx 
Kills and operated by the tide. A mill was also erected on 
Cromwell's Creek in 1760, by General Lewis Morris, the Signer, 
on the western limits of his land. All of these mills were 
sources of considerable income to their owners, as timber was 
plentiful, and the grain crops of the farmers had to be ground. 

The general population has been described as poor. Of 
money, there was little; what business was transacted was by 
means of barter, until later days. During the Dutch days, 
sewant, or wampum, adopted from the Indians, was the usual 
currency. This was made from the shell of the periwinkle, 
which abounded in great quantities on the shores of Long 
Island ; this made the white sewant. A more valuable sewant, 
called black, was made from the quahaug, or hard clam. In 
either case, the shells were broken or ground away until they 
became small beads; four of them made a stuyver, or two, 
a cent. When strung, a fathom of them was worth four 
guilders, or $1.66. The wampum was usually measured in 
spans ; and when the Indians sold their pelts, they selected for 
their traders those who could stretch farthest from little 
finger to thumb. This currency was capable of being easily 
counterfeited, and strings of it were manufactured in Holland 



io6 The Story of The Bronx 

of porcelain beads, which, however, did not deceive the 
Indians. This sort of currency soon depreciated ; and, though 
the authorities enacted laws fixing its value from time to time, 
it soon became worthless — the fate of all fiat money. Beaver 
skins had an intrinsic value, and they became the basis of all 
the larger transactions, being rated in 1658 as high as sixteen 
guilders. • 

With the advent of the English, a change came in the cur- 
rency, and more silver was introduced, though not necessarily 
of British mintage. Until long after the Revolution, all sorts 
of gold and silver coins were in circulation: English, Spanish, 
French, Dutch, Portuguese; joes, half -joes, pieces of eight, 
pistoles, guilders, shillings, guineas, pistareens, milled dollars, 
and many others. During the colonial period, in all the colo- 
nies, various makeshifts were resorted to in order to provide 
a currency: in Newfoundland, dried codfish was used for the 
purpose. All the colonies issued paper currency, and New 
York was no exception. We often come across in colonial 
papers and documents the expression, "New York currency," 
or "current funds of New York" (see Rev. Samuel Seabury's 
advertisement on page loi). This paper, issued by the au- 
thority of the provincial assemblies had no intrinsic value, and 
was always depreciated. Its value fluctuated so that it is 
impossible to give its relative worth with good money. The 
Reverend John Bartow, writing on July 13, 1724, in answer 
to the question of the Bishop of London in regard to his salary 
says: "The value of my living is £50, sterling, of New York 
money; which is about £32, 10 sterling, paid not without much 
difficulty and loss." There were no banks, and people kept 
their money in their houses. In the houses of the rich, large 
sums, sometimes running into thousands of pounds sterling, 
were kept in the great, heavy oak chests whose great strips 




TWO POUNDS. 
P r a E a tJ) of tbe Colony of 
^ New-Yorky t|)l0 Bill Ojall be 

received in, all PayTnents in the TreafuTy, 

for TWO POUNDS. 

ILL. 



hew-york, 

Febniarjr, 16, 17 



:j^ 




'/n 



^(:^^77^^^^</iZ^^ 





#*##*,####** 



'Tis Death to counterfeit. 






FIVE SHILLINGS. J^O- 2^/2 || 



BY a I^ Wo/" the Colony of ^^-w- 
Ybrk,f/uj Bill Jkall be receiDtd 
in atlPaynunts in the Treasukt, Jor 
FIVE SHILLINGS. 
New -York, Febniary.lS, 1771 . 





"lis Death to coimterfeit 



Facsimiles of New York Colonial Currency. 



Manners and Customs in Colonial Days 107 

of iron and heavy locks were sufficient protection against the 
robber of that day, and which, for further security, were kept 
in the bedroom of the proprietor. A mattress, a stocking, or 
a cuddy-hole was equally safe for the small possessions of the 
poor. 

When the Revolution occurred, the Congress was hard 
pushed to provide funds, and so quantities of Continental 
currency were issued. The more of it that was issued, the less 
did its value become, as there was nothing back of it to give 
it value. After the French alliance of 1780, hard money 
became less scarce; though in 1782, the Continental currency 
was so depreciated that it took five hundred dollars of it to pay 
for one dollar's worth of merchandise or labor. Acts of the 
legislatures, and even of Congress itself, could not make the 
Colonial and Continental currency pass at its face value, even 
when penalties were attached for failure to accept it. The 
same conditions prevailed after the Peace of 1783; and the 
experiences of the period from 1783 to 1789, which Professor 
John Fiske calls the "Critical Period of American History," 
resulted in the safeguarding of the money question in the 
Constitution by giving the Federal Government absolute 
power over the issue of coin and currency. 

During the Revolution, the British paid in good money for 
what they bought, so that it is not to be wondered at that the 
farmers of a section so close to the British base of supplies at 
New York as was the Borough, were more inclined to be loyal- 
ists or neutrals than to be ardent patriots. After all, a man's 
politics are usually in his pocket; and when we take into 
account the material inducements to enlist, we can see why 
the Tory regiments of Rogers and De Lancey were recruited 
principally from the sections adjacent to New York. 

So far in this chapter we have treated of the practical side 



io8 The Story of The Bronx 

of colonial life; a few words will suffice for the lighter side, the 
frolics, the amusements, the weddings, and the funerals. 

The Dutch were great for frolics, as they were termed, and 
the English readily took up the customs of their neighbors. 
The negro is an inborn musician and he always served as the 
fiddler upon these occasions, which generally took place in the 
winter time, when the snow upon the ground made travel 
quick and pleasant. Gathering at the home of some farmer 
or at a convenient tavern, the frolickers indulged in dancing, 
card playing, and drinking until daylight made its appearance. 
Wrestling was also a favorite amusement with the English, as 
well as horse-racing and hunting, the latter in the winter time 
when their Dutch neighbors were skating on the frozen ponds 
or coasting down the snow-covered hills. The Maypole was 
erected on May-day, and everybody celebrated it as a holiday 
in the manner of Merry England. The bands of children who 
throng the New York parks during the month of May keep 
alive this particular abomination of the Puritan. The Fifth 
of November was also celebrated with bonfires and the burn- 
ing of effigies, in memory of Guy Fawkes and the failure of the 
Gunpowder Plot; this, too, is strangely kept alive to-day in 
New York by the bonfires which illumine the city streets on 
Election night, which usually comes within a day or so of 
November fifth, or Guy Fawkes Day. 

New Year's Day was the greatest holiday of all with the 
Dutch, when the burgher or the boer put aside his work, decked 
himself in his best clothes, and went around to the houses of 
his friends to wish them happiness during the coming year, to 
the accompaniment of numerous pipes and glasses of schnapps. 
The good old Dutch custom prevailed with us until the 
drunkenness and debauchery which the abuse of the custom 
produced, led to its stoppage a few years back. Pfingster, or 



Manners and Customs in Colonial Days 109 

Whitsuntide, was also a period of jollification with the Dutch 
who, at this time, let their slaves have free play. ^ Practical 
jokes were always in order, and their success was the occasion 
of ready and boisterous laughter from the bystanders. In all, 
their amusements were the rude and simple pleasures of a 
primitive people. 

With the better classes, the same hoHdays were observed 
in a quieter manner and without horse-play. Tea parties 
and dinners were the more dignified means of entertainment. 
At the latter, wine of a quality not always to be found in Eu- 
rope was served to the guests; and it was customary for each 
of the guests in turn to toast some admired friend. The ladies 
toasted a gentleman, and the gentlemen toasted a lady. In 
this way, the health of some beautiful and gracious belle was 
drunk so often, and her popularity became so pronounced 
among her admirers, that she would become the "toast " of the 
season. An unbounded hospitaUty prevailed, and any one 
who ranked as a gentleman had little hesitancy in calling upon 
an acquaintance, or even upon a stranger, when travelling, 
for a meal or lodging. Intermarriages occurred between the 
families of the gentry, so that in time they were nearly all 
interrelated or connected. Many of the American heiresses, 
both of Dutch and English extraction, became the wives of 
English officers stationed in New York, a custom which the 
present generation still maintains with our trans-Atlantic 
cousins. Frequently, the foreigner, delighted with the man- 
ner of American life, took up his home here and became a citi- 
zen of the colony, and later of the State. Many of them, of 
whom Montgomery, Paul Jones, Gates, and Charles Lee were 
notable examples, fought with the colonists in their revolt 
against the mother country. 

' See Cooper's novel of Satanstoe. 



no The Story of The Bronx 

In this new country, women were in the minority, and con- 
sequently were in great demand. She must indeed be with- 
out personal or mental qualities who reached the age of twenty 
without being married, unless she were vowed to spinsterhood. 
It is amusing to read of the quickness with which widows 
remarried; there seems to have been no allotted period of 
mourning for them — a few weeks or months sufficed; and 
many of them changed their names three or four times as their 
helpmates departed to the other and better world. Sarah 
Willett, daughter of Thomas Cornell, must have been an 
attractive widow; for she was so pestered and annoyed by 
suitors, both Dutch and English, that she was obliged to appeal 
to the court for protection from their ardent advances. She 
finally married Thomas Bridges, an Englishman, and thus 
disposed of her other admirers. 

Weddings were occasions of great jollification with both 
Dutch and English, and the festivities were generally kept up 
for several days; while rough jokes and rude jests were in- 
dulged in to an extent that would shock our modem ideas of 
propriety. Woe betide the unfortunate bridegroom who was 
niggardly in inviting his friends to his wedding or who failed 
to provide generously for them in food and drink, the latter 
in especial! When it came to house-raising, corn-husking, 
quilting, and similar affairs where numbers were required, a 
whole neighborhood would join in and help, and the affair 
would become a frolic, the host being careful to provide ample 
quantities of cider, beer, and rum. 

Funerals were not the solemn occasions that they are with 
us to-day, but in colonial days actually became festive affairs. 
The friends and acquaintances gathered at the home of the 
deceased, and were received with all honor — and a bowl of 
punch. The services for the dead having been solemnized 



Manners and Customs in Colonial Days iii 

by the dominie, the body was carried to the grave — usually 
only a few rods away — and interred. No female ever went to 
the grave. A volley was customarily fired over the grave, 
even if the body were that of a woman. After these solemn 
services were performed, the mourners returned to the house, 
where they were refreshed after their fatigue with a lavish 
collation and unlimited quantities of drinkables. While im- 
bibing these latter and burning the incense of tobacco to the 
memory of the departed, they recounted his life and recalled 
his manifold virtues, until they became so overcome by them — ■ 
or by the drink — that they became speechless. It was a mat- 
ter of honor with the bereaved family to see that there was no 
cessation in the supply of solid and liquid refreshments ; and so 
these funeral ceremonies sometimes lasted for several days. 
The author cannot refrain from repeating the story of a Scotch 
mourner, who after two days of mourning, solemnly arose, 
glass in hand, and proposed the health of the bride and groom. 
Upon being admonished by a neighbor that the affair was 
not a wedding but a funeral, he remarked: "Weel! I dinna 
care what 't is; 't is a grand success anyhow." 

Funerals conducted in this style were often so expensive as 
to impoverish a family that would otherwise have been com- 
fortably off. Besides the refreshments, mourning gloves and 
bands were furnished the minister and the mourners, while 
mourning rings and pins were provided for the relatives and 
close friends. It is stated that ministers who conducted many 
funerals had a considerable source of income from the sale of 
the mourning gloves with which they were presented at each 
ceremony. If only a short distance from the grave, the body 
was carried on a bier by underbearers. The author remembers 
seeing, when a boy, between the years 1865 and 1870, a mem- 
ber of the Schermerhorn family buried from the old mansion 



112 The Story of The Bronx 

in Fourteenth Street near Si*xth Avenue (afterwards occupied 
by the Metropohtan Museum of Art), and that the coffin was 
carried by underbearers. 

In 1760, the funeral expenses of Mrs. Alexander, mother of 
General Lord Stirling of the American army, amounted to 
£21, 85. and 6d. for the undertaker alone; to this must be 
added the cost of food, drink, bands, gloves, rings, and pins 
mentioned above. The scarcit}^ of money at the time of the 
Revolution had more effect in causing economy in the matter 
of funerals than had the legislation passed by the Provincial 
Assembly in attempts to stop the wastefiil extravagance. 
The funerals of the poorer members of the community were as 
extravagant as those of their betters, if not more so, in propor- 
tion.^ Perhaps these funeral ceremonies were an inheritance 
from the old Saxon days, as the reader will remember the obse- 
quies of Athelstane in Scott's romance of Ivanhoe, and the 
interrupted festivities upon that occasion. 

^ See Customs in Old New England, by Alice Morse Earle. 



CHAPTER VI 

THE REVOLUTION TO SEPTEMBER, 1 776 

FROM what has already been written, it will be seen 
that the population of the Borough was a farming 
one, being either gentlemen farmers, occupiers of 
leaseholds as tenants of the wealthy landowners, or as owners 
of small farms of their own. The franchise was limited to 
those who possessed unencumbered property to the value of 
forty pounds, a considerable sum in those days; and these 
were the freeholders of the county. It was not until the 
adoption of the second Constitution of the State in 1821 that 
the suffrage was made universal. Farmers, as a class, are 
conservative; and when to this conservatism is added the fact 
that many of them in colonial days did not have the right 
to vote, we may surmise that so long as they found a ready 
market for their produce they did not bother their heads 
very much about political matters, but left such affairs to 
their betters. The differences between the Morris and De 
Lancey families might, and did, arouse a feeling of parti- 
sanship; but, in general, they were satisfied to return to 
the Provincial Assembly some prominent gentleman of the 
neighborhood for whom they felt it an honor to vote, or of 
whom they might be tenants. This feeling of political neu- 
trality, or apathy, was particularly marked in the aristocratic 
Province of New York, which not only furnished its quota of 

8 113 



114 The Story of The Bronx 

troops to the Continental army, but also furnished more 
loyalists, or Tories, both active and passive, than any other 
province or state. 

The general mass of the population, though steady, intelli- 
gent, industrious, and not illiterate, did not concern themselves 
greatly with the political affairs of the decade between 1764 
and 1774, in which New England took so prominent a part. 
They looked upon their eastern neighbors as wild stirrers-up 
of strife, whose ability and progressiveness they were ready 
and willing to acknowledge, but for whom they felt and 
expressed a certain sneering and lofty contempt, and often dis- 
like. ' The fact that a man was a Yankee was sufficient to 
excuse his vagaries of dress, action, or speech. We do not 
find, therefore, that any Committee of Correspondence or 
society of the Sons of Liberty existed within the county. This 
feeling of apathy was more pronounced in the southern 
part of the county, that is, within the Borough, than in the 
more northerly sections, as White Plains, Bedford, Rye, and 
Mamaroneck, whose original settlers were nearly all from 
Connecticut. 

The most thickly settled portion of the Borough was the 
section lying contiguous to the Sound: Westchester, West 
Farms, Throgg's Neck, and Eastchester. Here the prepon- 
derating influence was that of the De Lancey family; and as 
they were, almost to a man, loyalists, this portion of the 

^ " It is my will and desire that my son Gouverneur Morris may have the 
best education that is to be had in England or America. But my express 
will and directions are, that he be never sent for that purpose to the Colony 
of Connecticut, lest he should imbibe in his youth that low craft and 
cunning, so incident to the people of that Country, which is so inter- 
woven with their constitution that all their art cannot disguise it from the 
world, though many of them, under the sanctified garb of religion, have 
endeavored to impose themselves upon the world as honest men." — From 
the will of Lewis Morris, Junior, of Morrisania, November 19, 1760. 



April, 1775 to September, 1776 115 

Borough became a hotbed of Toryism. Another element 
which added to the loyalty of the inhabitants to the crown was 
the influence of the clergy of the Church of England; and from 
the pulpits of St. Peter's at Westchester, St. Paul's atEast- 
chester, and St. John's at Yonkers, the doctrine of passive 
obedience was preached by Rectors Seabury and Babcock 
with no less fervor than in the days of Laud and the Star 
Chamber. 

On August 20, 1774, a meeting was called at the borough - 
town of Westchester for the purpose of electing delegates to 
a county convention to be held at White Plains on the twenty- 
second of the same month, for the purpose of selecting a rep- 
resentative to the general Congress to meet in Philadelphia on 
September first. Henry B. Dawson says^ that this meeting 
was controlled by a single master-spirit, Colonel Lewis Morris, 
who, instead of convening the meeting for an honest expression 
of opinion from the freeholders and inhabitants, many of whom 
were his own tenants, or for the honest promotion of the best 
interests of the colony, used it "as a preparation for the return 
of the Morris family to place, authority, and influence in the 
political affairs of the Colony, from which, through the con- 
trolling influence of the De Lanceys, it had been, for many 
years, entirely excluded." The meeting adopted a set of 
resolutions which, after proclaiming allegiance to the King, 
proceeded to criticise the unconstitutional acts of his Majesty's 
government in taxing the colonies without their consent, to 
sympathize with the distressed people of Boston on account 
of the closure of their port, to call upon the colonies to stand 
together for unanimous action, and to advise the action of a 
general congress to take steps for a redress of their grievances. 

' "The American Revolution," in Scharf's History of Westchester County, 
vol. i. 



ii6 The Story of The Bronx 

The delegates chosen for the convention at White Plains 
were James Ferris, Colonel Lewis Morris, and Thomas 
Hunt. 

The convention met at White Plains under the chairman- 
ship of Colonel Frederick Philipse, a member of the Provincial 
Assembly, and selected as representatives of the county of 
Westchester, Isaac Low, Philip Livingston, James Duane, 
John Alsop, and John Jay, all of whom had already been 
chosen by the city and county of New York to represent it 
in the Continental Congress. So that officially, at least, 
Westchester County was marching side by side with the 
other sections of the country in their condemnation of the 
unconstitutional acts of the Parliament and in a desire for a 
redress of grievances. But the great majority of the inhabi- 
tants was either indifferent, or openly hostile, to the patriotic 
action of the leaders. The loyalist papers teemed with pro- 
tests from inhabitants of the county, and broadsides of like 
tenor were issued. 

On April 13, 1775, a very respectable number of freeholders 
and inhabitants of the county again assembled at White 
Plains, "for the purpose of choosing delegates to represent 
this colony in the next Continental Congress." The delegates 
were duly chosen by a minority of the convention, the ma- 
jority refusing to take part in the proceedings, and drawing up 
a protest, of which the following is an extract, which was 
signed by over three hundred persons, among whom we find 
many inhabitants of the Borough: 

"We, the subscribers, freeholders and inhabitants of the 
county of Westchester, having assembled at the White Plains, 
in consequence of certain advertisements, do now declare, 
that we met here to express our honest abhorrence of all unlaw- 
ful congresses and committees and that we are determined, at 



April, 1775, to September, 1776 117 

the hazard of our lives and properties, to support the King 
and Constitution, and that we acknowledge no represen- 
tatives but the General Assembly, to whose wisdom and 
integrity we submit the guardianship of our rights and 
privileges." 

The protest was published in Rivington's Gazetteer, the lead- 
ing loyalist organ, which commented as follows: 

"The Committee that was chosen, may, with some kind of 
propriety, be said to represent those particular persons who 
chose them. But how can they be denominated representa- 
tives of the County of Westchester, who, in general, abhor 
Committees and Committeemen, and are determined to take 
no steps that may have the least tendency to lead them into 
Rebellion, we cannot conceive, . . . And we doubt not but 
the impartial public will consider the matter in this light, and 
not esteem the act of a few individuals, unlawfully assembled, 
as the act (which it most assuredly is not) of the very respec- 
table, populous, and loyal county of Westchester." 

The author of the protest, and the one who communicated 
it and the report of the proceedings to the Gazetteer was Isaac 
Wilkins, brother-in-law of Colonel Lewis Morris, who was also 
reputed to be the author of loyalist articles signed A. W. F. 
(A Westchester Farmer). The news of Concord and Lexing- 
ton came a few days after the publication of the protest; 
and Mr. Wilkins, in view of the excitement of the populace 
over the news and their indignation at his blatant Toryism, 
believed that his life was in danger, and so fled the country 
to England; he was probably the first of the expatriated 
Tories, who, before the war was over, numbered tens of 
thousands. 

The news from Lexington greatly strengthened the patriot 
party. On the eighth of May, a Committee for Westchester 



ii8 The Story of The Bronx 

County was formed, with Gilbert Drake as chairman. On the 
twenty-third of the same month, a Provincial Congress was 
organized in New York City by delegates from all the counties 
in the colony, and Philip Van Brugh Livingston was elected 
its president. 

The importance of fortifying the pass at Kingsbridge was 
recognized at an early period ; and immediately after the arrival 
of the news of the Concord fight, without any formal order 
from the Committee of One Hundred, numbers of men were 
employed in transporting cannon from the city to that point. 
Though the Provincial Congress appointed a committee to 
report upon a plan of entrenchments, nothing further was done. 
On May twenty-fifth, however, the Continental Congress 
resolved : 

"First, that a Post be immediately taken and fortified at or 
near King's Bridge, in the Colony of New York, and that the 
ground be chosen with a particular view to prevent com- 
munication between the City of New York and the country 
from being interrupted by land; Secondly, that the Militia 
of New York be armed and trained, and in constant readiness 
to act at a moment's warning; and that a number of men be 
immediately embodied ... to prevent any attempts that 
may be made to gain possession of the City, and to interrupt 
its intercourse with the country." 

These resolutions, with instructions to keep them as secret as 
possible, reached the Provincial Congress at New York on the 
twenty-ninth of May; and a committee was accordingly 
appointed, consisting of Captain Richard Montgomery of 
Kingsbridge, Henry Glenn, Robert Yates, and Colonels James 
Van Cortlandt and James Holmes, the last two of Westchester 
County, both of whom later became loyalists. This committee 
was instructed "to view the ground at or near King's Bridge, 



April, 1775, to September, 1776 119 

and report to this Congress whether the ground near King's 
Bridge will admit of making a fortification there that will be 
tenable." 

In June, the Continental Congress took steps to form a 
Continental army, and appointed George Washington com- 
mander-in-chief. New York was to furnish three thousand 
troops, to be divided into four regiments, which later became 
the New York Line, commanded by McDougal, Ritzema,^ 
James Clinton, and Wynkoop. Some of the Westchester 
County men enrolled in the Fourth Regiment of militia, com- 
manded at first by Colonel James Holmes of Bedford, 
who later turned loyalist and became lieutenant-colonel of a 
battalion of Westchester County refugees in the British arm}'. 

On August twenty- second, a militia bill was passed in accord- 
ance with the recommendations of the Continental Congress; 
and the county was divided into precincts, or beats, each fur- 
nishing a company, which companies were formed into three 
battalions; each company was to elect its own officers. The 
first company to perfect its organization was that from the 
borough-town of Westchester, August twenty-fourth. Later, 
West Farms and Fordham withdrew from the Westchester 
beat and formed their own company. Eastchester formed 
another beat and raised its own company; New Rochelle 
and Pelham Manor formed another beat; and the manor of 
Philipseburgh was divided into six beats, of which the 
Yonkers beat was within the Borough. These companies 
above mentioned formed the South Battalion of Westchester 
County. Its officers were Joseph Drake, colonel; James 
Hammond, lieutenant-colonel; Moses Drake, first major; 



' Ritzema commanded the Third Regiment of the New York Line at 
the Battle of Chatterton's Hill, or White Plains, and did his duty; but a 
short time after the battle he left the patriots and joined the royalist army. 



120 The Story of The Bronx 

Jonathan G. Graham, second major; Abraham Emmons, ad- 
jutant; and Theophilus Bartow, quarter-master. Among the 
company officers will be found some of the best-known 
names of the ancient Borough. 

Every man between the ages of fifteen and fifty was obliged 
to provide himself with a good musket and bayonet, a sword 
or tomahawk, a cartridge box and belts, twenty-three rounds 
of cartridges, twelve flints and a knapsack, and to keep himself 
provided with a pound of gunpowder and three pounds of 
bullets in reserve; he was also required to parade for drill on 
the first Monday of each month. All these things he must do 
at his own expense, under penalty of fine and imprisonment. 
This, of course, bore very heavily upon the poorer classes, 
who had much difficulty in feeding and clothing their families. 
It is not to be wondered at that when De Lancey and others 
came recruiting and offering bounties, clothes, accoutrements, 
and good pay in current money, and not in depreciated Con- 
tinental bills, that these men, with the fear of fine and im- 
prisonment before their eyes for recalcitrancy in obeying the 
orders of the Provincial Congress, readily and willingly joined 
the standards of the loyalist battalions. 

One of these corps was that of the Queen's Rangers, organ- 
ized by Colonel Robert Rogers of New Hampshire in 1776 
from the loyalists of Connecticut and Westchester County 
to the number of four hundred. They afterwards became 
reduced in numbers; and in the autumn of 1777, after the 
Battle of the Brandy wine. Major Simcoe of the British army, 
at his own urgent request, was appointed to command them 
with the rank of lieutenant-colonel. He soon made them 
models of order, discipline, and valor. The following adver- 
tisement from Rivington' s Royal Gazetteer will give some idea 
of the inducements offered to the loyaHsts: 



April, 1775, to September, 1776 121 

"all aspiring heroes 
have now an opportunity of distinguishing themselves by- 
joining 

THE queen's rangers HUSSARS 

commanded by 
Lieutenant-Colonel Simcoe. 

"Any spirited young man will receive every encouragement, 
be immediately mounted on an elegant horse, and furnished 
with clothing, and accoutrements, &c., to the amount of 
FORTY guineas, by applying to Comet Spencer, at his 
Quarters, No. 133 Water Street, or his rendezvous, Hewett's 
Tavern, near the Coffee-house and the Defeat of Brandywine 
on Golden Hill. 

"Whoever brings a recruit shall instantly receive two 
guineas. 

"vivant rex et regina." 

Two other acts of the Provincial authorities also bore very 
heavily upon the inhabitants and tended to increase their dis- 
content. One was an order from the Provincial Congress to all 
civil and military officers to arrest and confine all persons who 
did not sign the association of the colonies, or who denied 
the rights and orders of the Provincial or Continental con- 
gresses, or who expressed sympathy with the royal cause, or 
who furnished suppHes of any kind to the fleet or army of 
the King. The other act by the Committee of Safety author- 
ized the seizure of guns, powder, bullets, and other munitions 
of war from any one who had not signed the association, 
for the use of the poorly-equipped and ill-supphed troops which 
the Colony was putting in the field for the expedition against 
Canada. The first act prevented freedom of speech, and 
deprived the inhabitants of their ordinary markets, while 
placing them at the mercy of every enemy they may have 



122 The Story of The Bronx 

made and who was willing to give information or to throw sus- 
picion upon them ; the second deprived them of their personal 
property without compensation or due process of law. 

As an instance to show the diversity of opinion which ani- 
mated the Provincial Congress itself, and their attempt to 
show allegiance to both King and Continental Congress, we 
may mention the rather ludicrous dilemma in which they found 
themselves at the end of June, 1775. Governor Tryon had 
returned from England and had notified the Provincial Con- 
gress that he would land and consult with them on the state 
of the Colony, on the twenty-fifth of June. Notice was also 
received that General Washington would arrive in New York 
the same day as the Governor, on his way to take command of 
the American army around Boston. The Congress wished to 
do equal honor to both, but were divided in opinion as to who 
should be first received by the troops. It was at last decided 
to divide the troops for the reception of the distinguished 
visitors; but Washington fortunately arrived several hours 
before the royal Governor and thus relieved them of their 
embarrassment. 

Enough has been stated to explain the loyalty of the in- 
habitants of the Borough in Revolutionary times. From the 
autumn of 1776 to that of 1783, Westchester County was har- 
ried more than any other section of the country; and the 
losses and sufferings of the inhabitants more than repaid them 
for their lack of patriotism for their distressed and struggling 
country. While no great battle took place within the Bor- 
ough, the operations were constant, and hardly a week passed 
without some military foray or encounter. 

One of the earliest military acts was an expedition from 
Connecticut under Captain Isaac Sears ("King" Sears), in 
November, 1775, for the purpose of regulating Westchester 



April, 1775, to September, 1776 123 

County, disarming the loyalists, and seizing the persons of 
several of the most prominent Tories. The expedition started 
with sixteen men, but gradually increased to over eighty. 
On the twenty-second of November, an advanced guard 
entered the borough-town of Westchester and seized Mayor 
Underbill and Rector Samuel Seabury. The rector had ren- 
dered himself obnoxious to the patriots by his written articles 
against the colonists, by his fulminations from the pulpit, and 
by his having signed the White Plains Protest. Captain 
Lathrop, with his two prisoners, then started over the road 
to Kingsbridge, but met the main body under Sears coming 
over the Boston Road. They all returned to Eastchester, 
where the main body of the raiders had already seized Jona- 
than Fowler, Judge of the Superior Court of Common Pleas. 
The three prisoners were sent under escort to Horseneck 
(Greenwich) in Connecticut, while the main body of about 
seventy-five horsemen resumed their march over the Boston 
Road into the city of New York, where, at noon on the twenty- 
third, they destroyed the printing establishment of James 
Rivington, the royalist printer and publisher of the obnoxious 
Gazetteer. The expedition then returned to Connecticut, carry- 
ing with them most of the printing type, which was afterwards 
melted up into bullets. The prisoners were not released until 
the following January; and when the reverend doctor returned 
to Westchester he found his school dispersed and his affairs 
in confusion. Like his friend Wilkins, he left the town, going 
first to Long Island, and later to New York City, where he 
remained as chaplain in the British army until the end of the 
war. 

Mention has already been made of the cannon taken to 
Kingsbridge upon the news of Lexington. These cannon, 
numbering probably two hundred and fifty all told, were of all 



124 The Story of The Bronx 

sizes, shapes, qualities, and materials; brass, bronze, andiron; 
good, bad, and indifferent. They were stored at several 
places, fifty or more at John WilHams's (Williamsbridge), 
probably one hundred at Valentine's Hill, others at the north- 
em end of Manhattan. They were not protected or guarded 
in any way, so that any one who wished to injure them could 
do so with impunity. On January 17, 1776, most of them 
were found spiked, while others v, ;re choked up with stones, 
and all of them were in an unserviceable condition. Suspicion 
fell upon the loyalists of Westchester, Eastchester, West 
Farms, and Yonkers; but an inquiry placed the deed upon 
John Fowler and William Lounsberry of Mamaroneck, both 
of whom were imprisoned. The purchase of a quantity of 
rat-tail files led to their conviction. Jacamiah Allen was 
employed to unspike the guns at a cost of twenty shillings a 
gun. This he succeeded in doing, and they were later moun- 
ted upon the fortifications built by the Americans. 

The committee of which Captain Richard Montgomery was 
the head reported June 3, 1775, as to the fortifications at 
Kingsbridge. They recommended that a post of three hun- 
dred men be established on Marble Hill, near Hyatt's Tavern, 
Manhattan, and selected sites on Tetard's Hill to the east, and 
on Tippett's Hill to the west of the bridge for the placing of 
redoubts when the troops had been properly organized, so that 
the work could be done by them. Under the command of 
Major-General Charles Lee, who was ordered from Boston to 
the command of New York and its environs, work was begun 
upon the suggested redoubts; but it was not until after the 
evacuation of Boston by the British on March 17, 1776, and 
the assvimption of the command in New York by Washington 
in person, that any great progress was made upon the forti- 
fications. Early in the month of June, he visited the neigh- 



April, 1775, to September, 1776 125 

borhood of Kingsbridge and inspected the ground. Realizing 
the importance of the place, he selected seven sites for redoubts, 
two of which — the Cock Hill fort overlooking the mouth of 
Spuyten Duyvil Creek, and a fort on Marble Hill, afterwards 
called by the British, Fort Prince Charles — were on the island 
of Manhattan; the remaining five were in the Borough. He 
immediately set two Pennsylvania regiments to work on the 
forts, and also various bodies of militia as they reported for 
duty; for by this time General Howe had arrived off New 
York and was threatening the city, so that reinforcements for 
the Americans were coming in from all directions. In orders 
of July second, Washington placed General Mifiiin in direct 
command of the Kingsbridge neighborhood with instructions 
to complete the works as rapidly as possible, so that work was 
carried on night and day. 

Admiral Lord Howe arrived off New York in command of 
the fleet on the twelfth of July and anchored in the Lower 
Bay. The point of debarkation of the British forces was, of 
course, a matter of conjecture on the part of the Americans; 
but Mifflin believed they would land near Yonkers and throw 
a line of strong entrenchments from the Hudson River to the 
Harlem, thus shutting the Americans up in New York and 
preventing their escape by way of Kingsbridge. Therefore, 
while the Howes were attempting to negotiate with Washing- 
ton for a cessation of hostilities under the instructions of King 
George, which empowered them to act as commissioners for 
the purpose, the work of fortifying Kingsbridge went rapidly 
forward. 

These posts, which fell into the hands of the British in Octo- 
ber and were further strengthened by them, were located as 
follows: 

Numbers One, Two, and Three (we use the British nomen- 



126 The Story of The Bronx 

clature) were situated on Spuyten Duyvil Neck, on what is 
said to have been the site of the Indian village of Nipnichsen. 

Number One was a square, stone redoubt overlooking the 
Hudson River and the mouth of the creek. It forms the foun- 
dation of what is known in the vicinity as the Strang house, 
originally built by a Mr. Cameron, and now occupied by 
William C. Muschenheim of the Hotel Astor. When the house 
was built, both Indian and Revolutionary relics were 
unearthed, some of which are still preserved in the house. 

Number Two was a small circular fort on the crown of 
Tippett's Hill, and was called "Fort Swartwout" by the 
Americans, in honor of Colonel Abraham Swartwout, whose 
regiment built it, as well as a small battery at the mouth of 
the creek near the site of the Spuyten Duyvil station of the 
New York Central and Hudson River Railroad. This battery, 
with the Cock Hill fort on Manhattan, was to prevent the 
enemy from entering the creek in boats. Upon the British 
map made for General Howe by his engineer, Joseph Claude 
Sauthier, and also upon the map made for Washington by S. 
Lewis, Fort Number Two is called "Fort Independence, " and 
the elevation, Tetard's Hill, the land to the northward toward 
Seton Hospital being called the Heights of Fordham. This is 
an error that still continues to mislead historians of the Revo- 
lution when describing the events in this vicinity. 

Number Three was a small stone redoubt on the easterly 
side of Tippett's Hill, which commanded the junction of the 
Spuyten Duyvil road and the present Riverdale Avenue, as 
well as the extreme northerly end of Manhattan Island oppo- 
site the fort on Marble Hill, called Fort Prince Charles. 
Between One and Two were two ravelins, and between Two 
and Three, a curtain which joined the two redoubts. 

All three of these redoubts were hastily constructed by the 




• ORT Inoepenoence 

■■ 6 
.. 7 



FOfiT 

RTWOur 
3- 

6 . 

7 

S 

9 -COCK HILL rORT 
lO-FORT PRINCE CHARLES 
ll-KINO'S BRIDCC 
I2.-FARMERS BRIDGE 
IS-FORTTRYON 
///-- - WASHINGTON 
15- ■■ GEORGE 
/6- ARCHER'S HOUSE 



Map Showing the British Fortifications. Compiled from the Headquarters 
Map and Showing Principal Streets of the Present. 



April, 1775, to September, 1776 127 

Americans and abandoned by them when they evacuated this 
section before the Westchester campaign; the British seized 
and strengthened them before the attack on Fort Washington 
in the early part of November, 1776. In November, 1778, 
they had a garrison of one hundred and ten officers and men. 
They were finally abandoned by the British in the fall of 1779' 
Number Four was on the eastern side of the valley, between 
the Boston and Albany roads, both of which it commanded. 
It was the largest of all the fortifications in this neighborhood, 
and was a bastioned earthwork, with ravelins to the east and 
southeast, and was built by the Pennsylvania Line, assisted 
by the militia, under the direction of Colonel Rufus Putnam, 
the engineer of Fort Washington. Upon the approach of 
the Hessians under Knyphausen from New Rochelle, Colonel 
Lasher, the American commander, destroyed the barracks, 
October twenty-eighth, and went to reinforce Colonel Magaw 
at Fort Washington. He left in such haste that he was 
obliged to leave the cannon and three hundred stand of arms 
behind him. General Knyphausen took possession the next 
day, and the British held it for three years. On August 16, 
1779, they removed the guns; on the seventeenth, they 
demolished the magazine, and on the twelfth of September 
they abandoned the fort altogether. The house formerly 
belonging to the late William O. Giles, Esq., is built within the 
ancient fort; and it is stated that when the cellar was dug 
eleven cannon and several cannon-balls, calthorns, and other 
military relics were found. Number Four was the largest 
redoubt in this vicinity and was the true Fort Independence of 
the Americans. The fort was built upon the farm of Captain 
(later, Major-General) Richard Montgomery, who probably 
selected the site when examining this section with the com- 
mittee appointed by the Provincial Congress of 1775. 



128 The Story of The Bronx 

A new street, a continuation of the ancient Boston Post- 
road of 1673, passes down the hill from Sedgwick Avenue, 
connecting the Boston with the Albany Post-road, and en- 
croaches slightly upon the ramparts of the old fort. Another 
street, a little west of the one just mentioned, also leads down 
the hill past the old Montgomery house and is called Fort 
Independence Street. 

The British Headquarters map of 1782 (or 1783) shows seven 
other redoubts lying south of Number Four along the Ford- 
ham ridge, making eleven in all from the Hudson to the shore 
of the Harlem abreast of Fort George on Manhattan. In 
addition, there are shown entrenchments across the Boston 
Road to the east of Number Four and a small redoubt, called 
the Negro Fort, about half-way between Fort Independence 
and Williamsbridge. It was so called because, so it is stated, 
it was garrisoned by negroes from Virginia; it was situated just 
south of the old Boston Road — this part of it now called Van 
Cortlandt Avenue, — about where the new Concourse joins 
Mosholu Parkway. A semicircular redoubt was also erected 
by the orders of General Heath about one thousand feet west 
of the bridge across the Bronx River, to command the passage 
of that stream and the Boston Road to Williams's bridge. It 
was located on the Bussing farm, and its site is now within 
the limits of Woodlawn Cemetery, close to the point of inter- 
section of the ancient Boston and Gun Hill roads. 

Number Five was a square redoubt of about seventy feet, 
situated on the old Tetard farm, due south of Fort Indepen- 
dence, and commanding the Farmers' Bridge. It can still be 
distinguished at the southwest corner of the Jerome Park 
reservoir, a few rods east of Sedgwick Avenue, adjoining the 
Ames property. It was occupied by the British in 1777, and 
abandoned September 18, 1779. In the summer of 1910, 



April, 1775, to September, 1776 129 

Messrs. Reginald P. Bolton, Edward Hagaman Hall, and W. L. 
Calver carefully excavated the ground within the old redoubt 
and were rewarded by finding remains of brick fireplaces and 
other military relics, including regimental buttons of privates 
of the 13th Pennsylvania Regiment and the following British 
infantry regiments: 4th, loth, 17th, 26th, 28th, 44th, 52d, 
54th, 57th, 64th, and 71st Highlanders, and also an officer's 
button of the 17th British. 

Though there were eleven of these redoubts, the British 
numbers ran only to eight, as several of them had special 
names, or were of such small size as not to merit special men- 
tion as they were attached to the larger fortifications near 
them. 

Numbers Six, Seven, and Eight were small redoubts com- 
manding the Harlem River from Fordham Heights, and strung 
along to the southward as far as the present Burnside Avenue. 
Of these, Number Eight was the most famous, as Colonel De 
Lancey's cantonment was under its guns for protection from 
the American attacks; it also protected the pontoon bridge 
which connected the mainland with Manhattan near Fort 
George, over which the British cowboys drove their cattle, 
wood, forage, and other products of their raids. The daring 
American partisans were not deterred by the proximity of the 
fort, however, but made affairs in this vicinity hot on niuner- 
ous occasions, as we shall see later. 

Lossing says:' "Before leaving these heights [Fort Washing- 
ton], consecrated by valor and patriotism, let us turn toward 
the distant hills of West Chester, where almost every rood of 
earth is scarred by the intrencher's mattock, or made memo- 
rable by deeds of daring and of suffering." 

The reference here is chiefly to the "distant hills" of North 

' Page 623, Pictorial Field Book of the Revolution. 
9 



130 The Story of The Bronx 

Castle, White Plains, and Peekskill; but the Borough section 
of the county, so long occupied by the British forces, must have 
had numerous fortifications, which the local historian has 
failed to record, and which modem improvements have 
obliterated. Kingsbridge has been more fortunate in both 
respects ; it is still a rural community, and the local historian, 
the late Mr. Thomas Henry Edsall, has determined the sites 
of the ancient redoubts before the knowledge of their position 
has passed away with the older inhabitants. The Head- 
quarters map, published in 1900, also gives us these redoubts 
with a fair amount of accuracy. 

As if to confirm MifBin's idea of the landing place of the 
British, on the twelfth of July, the Rose and the Phoenix, 
British vessels of war, with several tenders, sailed up the 
Hudson and, being unaware of the American fortifications, 
anchored off the entrance to Spuyten Duyvil Creek. Their 
ignorance was soon dissipated, for the batteries opened fire on 
them and did great execution. The vessels then proceeded 
up the Hudson as far as Fort Montgomery in the Highlands. 
Their object was, probably, to communicate with the loyalists 
along the banks of the river and to provide them with arms; 
but their presence called for more troops, and reinforcements 
were hurried to the neighborhood of Kingsbridge. 

On August thirteenth. General Heath, to whose Memoirs 
we owe so much for our knowledge of Revolutionary affairs in 
Westchester County, was appointed to the command of the 
district of the Highlands, extending south to the Harlem 
River. On the seventeenth, the vessels were anchored off 
Mount Saint Vincent (then called the Yonkers), and an 
attempt was made to destroy them with fire-ships. One of 
the tenders was consumed, and the next morning the remain- 
der of the vessels dropped down stream, easily passing through 







fc 



>. 




H 




OJ 




C 




W 




aj 




^ 


^o 


+-' 


t^ 




t^ 






^ 


■o 










C 


+-J 






S 


•J 


^ 


3 
< 




O 




en 

0) 






c 


en 


*> 


o 


o 

cw 


-13 
C 



S E 



fXs 




X/1 


o 


0) 

e 

o 




w 


1 


.3 


o 


'C 


o 


> 


^ 


<a 


'2 


^ 


S 


-tj 


CO 


t4 


lU 


(D 


3 




S 
> 


oT 


<i 


w 


+j 


3 


Td 


O 


c 


ffi 


cS 



April, 1775, to September, 1776 131 

the obstructions in the river between Forts Washington and 
Lee, much to the chagrin of Washington and his engineers. 
Generals Heath and George Clinton witnessed from Tippett's 
Hill the daring attempt of the fire-ships to destroy the vessels. 

A few days later, a French engineer. Monsieur Martin, was 
assigned by Washington to complete the works, and Clinton's 
brigade was ordered into camp. The regiment of Colonel 
Thomas took camp south of Fort Independence, that of Colo- 
nel Graham about half a mile south, and those of Colonels 
Paulding and Nicholas, at Fordham and the base of Tetard's 
Hill, while Colonel Swartwout occupied Tippett's Hill and 
threw up the redoubts already described. ^ 

On the twenty-seventh of August, the Battle of Long Island 
occurred; and the Provincial Congress, then sitting at Harlem, 
became alarmed for the safety of the city of New York and 
ordered its records removed to the camp at Kingsbridge, 
whence they were later taken to White Plains and elsewhere as 
the seat of the provincial government shifted from place to 
place during the ensuing six years. Heath gathered all the 
boats he could find along the two rivers for the transportation 
of Washington's army across the East River from its dangerous 
position at Brooklyn. 

Early in the morning of the twenty-seventh, while the battle 

was raging on Long Island, two ships and a brig came to 

anchor a little above Frog Point [Throgg's Neck]. Colonel 

Graham's regiment was ordered immediately to the spot by 

General Heath, to prevent the British from landing to plunder 

and bum. Before the regiment arrived, several barges from 

the ships, full of armed men, landed on City Island and killed 

' The reader must not confuse the Fordham of to-day, a station on the 
Harlem Railroad, with the Fordham of colonial times, which, as has 
already been explained in Chapter III., was established by John Archer, 
in 1668, at a site near the "wading place." 



132 The Story of The Bronx 

a number of cattle. Two companies of the Americans were 
ferried over to the island and compelled the enemy to withdraw. 
The British took one prisoner and fourteen head of cattle, but 
the rest of the cattle was secured. On the twenty-ninth, the 
ships fell down to Himt's Point. 



CHAPTER VII 

THE REVOLUTION, FROM SEPTEMBER, 1 776, TO NOVEMBER, 1 776. 

ON the thirteenth of September, the city of New York 
was evacuated by the Americans, and the march 
was taken up for Harlem Heights and Kingsbridge. 
The Hov/es thought this a propitious moment to renew their 
overtures for peace, and sent the captured General Sullivan 
on parole to carry their message to Congress at Philadel- 
phia, a "decoy duck," as he was called by John Adams, who 
was one of the commissioners sent to confer with the Howes 
— the others were Benjamin Franklin and John Rutledge. As 
the Howes refused to treat with the Americans other than 
as private citizens, and as the three commissioners stood out 
for a recognition of our independence, the negotiations of 
September eleventh fell through, as the Howes were not 
authorized to negotiate on any such basis. 

Five thousand troops were left to garrison Fort Washington, 
while the remainder, about nine thousand in number, went 
into quarters on the Borough side of the Harlem, extending 
from Kingsbridge, through Fordham, Morrisania, West 
Farms, and Westchester to Throgg's Neck and Eastchester. 
A floating, or pontoon, bridge was thrown across Spuyten 
Dujrvil Creek to afford easy communication between the two 
divisions of the army. A similar bridge was constructed by 
the British after their occupation of the same neighborhood; 

133 



134 The Story of The Bronx 

it crossed the creek about midway between the King's bridge 
and the Hudson, connecting Tippett's Neck and Cox's (or 
Cock's) Hill. On the Headquarters map, already referred to, 
it appears very curiously as the "King's bridge." The Ameri- 
cans at once erected barracks, and brick and stone ovens were 
built by the masons in the army. 

The different methods of working in the two armies are 
shown by the fact that redoubts, barracks, ovens, etc. required 
by the Americans were built by the soldiers themselves, with 
slight additional expense to the government; while during the 
British occupation of New York and its environs, under the 
several British commanders, 750,000 pounds sterling were 
spent for the same purposes. So tremendous was this expense 
that its honesty was questioned by the government in England, 
and it is supposed that Carleton had the Headquarters map 
made in order to show where and how this large sum had been 
expended. The American army was composed of farmers, 
mechanics, and artisans of all kinds; the British, of soldiers, 
whose duty it was to fight. 

The farmers in the neighborhood of the army at Kingsbridge 
suffered from the depredations of the troops; and fences, 
poultry, cattle, and crops disappeared for the use of the quarter- 
master's department and for the commissariat. In fact, the 
thieving propensities of the patriots were a source of continual 
distress to the Commander-in-chief, whose orders against such 
acts were "more honored in the breach than in the observ- 
ance."' In a prosperous farming section such as this, there 
should have been plenty of horses and oxen; yet, when the 

' In the Journal of Lieut.-Col. Kemble, Sir William Howe's adjutant- 
general during the Westchester campaign, we find that the British Com- 
mander-in-chief had even greater trouble in dealing with the marauders 
of his army, and especially with the licentious and thieving German 
mercenaries. 



From September to November, 1776 135 

retreat began to the upper county, so many draught animals 
had been stolen by individuals, both officers and men, that 
enough animals could not be found to drag the stores and artil- 
lery; and the guns and wagons had to be hauled in relays and, 
very frequently, by hand. The terms of enlistment of thou- 
sands of men expired during the months of September and 
October, and every one that could do so helped himself to a 
horse or anything else that took his fancy, and which he could 
take back to New England with him. It was providential 
that the Americans were opposed by a commander that took 
things in a leisurely and dilatory way; otherwise, they would 
have lost everything; as it was, the army lost little or nothing. 

For several weeks the two opposing armies were apparently 
inactive; though, as a matter of fact, the Americans were 
busily engaged in strengthening the defences of Fort Washing- 
ton, the posts at Kingsbridge, at White Plains, and the various 
outposts already mentioned; while the British were erecting 
a strong line of defences to prevent attack from the north, 
extending along the heights commanding the Plains of Harlem ; 
that is, the present Momingside Heights, the north end of 
Central Park and McGowan's Pass ; in addition, they occupied 
the islands in the East River and thus controlled the Sound. 

The most strongly garrisoned of these islands was Montres- 
sor's (now Randall's), which was separated from the mainland 
by the narrow and shallow strait called Bronx Kills. At the 
manor-house of Morrisania, opposite the island, was a strong 
outpost of Americans; and the pickets frequently exchanged 
shots, until the tiro commanders of the posts mutually agreed 
to refrain from firing on each other's pickets. This pleased 
the men, who even exchanged articles by throwing them 
across the narrow strip of water. A raw picket on the British 
side, who did not knovv' of the agreement, began to fire on the 



136 The Story of The Bronx 

sentinel opposite, who was taking no precautions to conceal 
himself; and, in consequence, a lively fusillade ensued. The 
officers soon stopped the firing, the American captain indig- 
nantly remonstrated, the British captain apologized, relieved 
the offending sentry and punished him, and the condition of 
neutrality was resumed. 

On September twenty-fourth, an attempt was made by the 
Americans, imder Colonel Jackson and Major Henly, to sur- 
prise the British garrison on the island. The latter officer 
was on General Heath's staff, and was so importunate in his 
requests to be allowed to accompany the party that the Gen- 
eral rather unwillingly consented, as the expedition gave every 
promise of success without serious danger. The American 
sentries had been cautioned to pay no attention to the passage 
of the boats down the stream; but one fool thought he knew 
better than his officers and insisted on challenging the boats, 
and finally fired on them, thus, no doubt, awakening the vigi- 
lance of the British sentries. The boats came abreast of the 
island in silence and arranged themselves in the order pre- 
viously agreed upon for the attack. There was a whispered 
word of command, and Colonel Jackson's boat led the way in 
the darkness. As it approached the shore the pickets fired 
on it, but it kept on until its keel grated on the shore. Officers 
and men jumped ashore and attempted to rush the camp ; but 
the force in their front was too strong for therri, and they were 
obliged to fall back, as they were not supported. As they did 
so. Major Henly fell mortally wounded. The well-planned 
attack had failed, and all because of the cowardice of the 
officers in the other boats, not one of whom followed the boat 
of his commander and supported it. They were afterwards 
court-martialled and cashiered for cowardice. The loss of 
the Americans was twenty-two, including Major Henly, who 



From September to November, 1776 137 

died a few days later, much regretted by all who knew him, 
as he was a young officer of great ability and promise. The 
young Virginian was buried in the present Trinity Cemetery, 
by the side of the brave Colonel Knowlton, the hero of the 
Battle of Harlem Heights. 

Washington's headquarters during this time were in the 
Roger Morris house at Edgecombe Avenue and i6oth Street, 
Manhattan, the colonial mansion which later became the 
residence of the famous Madame Jumel, later the wife of 
Aaron Burr. This occupies a commanding position overlook- 
ing the Harlem River, the view to the southward extending to 
the East River, and to the northward to Kingsbridge, so that 
the movements of the British vessels or boats could be readily 
seen. These were times of great stress of mind and body for 
Washington; for he had on his hands a meddling Congress, 
several scheming and ambitious officers, a cowardly and thiev- 
ing militia, and a rapidly disintegrating army. In fact, he 
felt so despairing that he said privately: " Such is my situation, 
that if I were to wish the bitterest curse to an enemy on this 
side of the grave, I should put him in my stead with my feel- 
ings." He was strongly imbued with the idea that Howe 
intended to land at Morrisania and attack him in his position 
in Westchester County. No exertion was spared, therefore, 
to make his position as strong as possible, and he was passing 
continually from his headquarters to Kingsbridge, to Valen- 
tine's Hill, to Yonkers, to Morrisania, and to Westchester, 
personally superintending the disposition of his troops and 
acquainting himself with the topography of the surrounding 
country. 

A brief glance at the numbers and conditions of the two 
armies on the eve of the Westchester campaign may not be 
amiss. The British, including the Hessians who had already 



138 The Story of The Bronx 

arrived and taken part in the Battle of Long Island, and those 
under Knyphausen whose arrival was expected daily, were not 
less than forty thousand men, and to these must be added the 
marines of the fleet, several thousand more, who were avail- 
able for land duty. The regiments were the flower of the 
British army. Supporting them were the two fleets of Admi- 
ral Lord Howe and Commodore Hotham. On the face of the 
returns of September 21, 1776, the Americans had in the neigh- 
borhood of thirty-two thousand men ; but if we exclude the sick 
and furloughed, and those at Paulus Hook (Jersey City) and 
other small and distant posts, the number of effectives was not 
more than sixteen thousand. By the fifth of October, the 
number had dwindled considerably. Thirteen regiments of 
these troops were composed of militia, serving for the time in 
the Continental service, and absolutely unreliable for any pur- 
pose except building forts, plundering, and an almost positive 
certainty of running at the first fire, as Washington had learned 
to his sorrow at Kip's Bay. Further, the Commander-in-chief 
was handicapped by many political military officers, not the 
least of whom was Major-General Charles Lee, that conceited 
and egotistical braggart, so prolific of plans, schemes, and 
criticisms, and so barren of results. 

Dr. Galloway of the British army contrasts the two armies 
as follows: 

"The British army was commanded by able and experi- 
enced Officers; the rebeh, by men destitute of miHtary skill 
or experience and for the most part taken from the me- 
chanic arts or the plough. The first were possessed of the 
best appointments, and of more than they could use ; and the 
other, of the worst, and of less than they wanted. The one 
were attended by the ablest Surgeons and Physicians, healthy 
and high-spirited; the other were neglected in their health. 



From September to November, 1776 139 

clothing, and pa,y, were sickly, and constantly murmuring 
and dissatisfied. And the one were veteran troops, carrying 
victory and conquest wheresoever they were led; the other 
were new-raised and undisciplined, a panic-struck and de- 
feated enemy, whenever attacked — such is the true compara- 
tive difference between the force sent to suppress, and that 
which supported, the Rebellion." 

The period of inactivity was broken on the twelfth of 
October. Leaving Earl Percy in command of the defences at 
New York, Sir William Howe embarked the first detachment 
of his army of thirty thousand men on flat-boats, and, sup- 
ported by several ships of war to cover his landing, proceeded 
through Hell Gate and the East River, and about nine o'clock 
in the morning landed at Throgg's Neck. The morning was 
foggy, so that his movement could not be seen from head- 
quarters, and Washington was unaware of it until that after- 
noon, when he received an express from Heath, whose outpost 
at Westchester town apprised him of the accomplishment of 
the landing. During the afternoon of the same day, the 
second detachment of Howe's army, in forty-two vessels, 
supported by nine vessels of war, successfully followed their 
comrades in arms. 

The left flank of the American army was threatened and 
Washington was in despair. His actions and orders of that 
day show that the calm and equable temper of the great man 
gave way; and, believing that all was lost, he surrendered to 
the despondency which possessed him. He virtually turned 
everything over to Heath, an able and active subordinate, 
authorizing him to make such dispositions of the troops as he 
thought proper, "begging and trusting that every opposition 
would be given to the enemy," and concluding with, "God 
bless and lead you on to victory!" The next day, Sunday, he 



140 The Story of The Bronx 

had recovered his usual composure, and again took immediate 
and active charge of the movements of his troops, sending the 
necessary brigades and regiments to the support of Heath at 
Westchester, inspecting and patrolling his own lines and 
impressing the outposts with the necessity of being extra 
vigilant. At the first intimation of Howe's movement to 
Throgg's Neck, Washington had believed it to be a feint and 
that the real movement was to be by way of Morrisania; but 
on the thirteenth, he became convinced that the movement 
was a real one with the object of confining his army to the 
Harlem shore and cutting it off from the upper county. 

Throgg's Neck is virtually an island, being cut off from the 
mainland by several tidal creeks and low, marshy meadows, 
which are awash at high tide. Its only connection with the 
mainland at that time was the causeway and bridge over 
Westchester Creek at the borough-town. Howe was blamed 
for selecting Throgg's Neck for his landing place instead of 
Pell's Point (Rodman's Neck), a much better place for the 
object he had in view; but it appears that he gave way to 
the representations of his brother, the Admiral, who, from 
the charts and information he had, stated that Eastchester Bay 
was too shallow for his ships to cover the landing, while at 
Throgg's Neck there was plenty of water. We must remem- 
ber that, as there was no steam in those days, the vessels were 
dependent upon the winds and tides. 

As early as October third, Heath had inspected this neigh- 
borhood and placed alarm posts at the bridge and at the head 
of Westchester Creek, where the stream was fordable, with 
orders to give him immediate notice of any movement of the 
enemy, should they attempt to land at Throgg's Neck; and 
he promised, in the event of a British advance, to send reinforce- 
ments at once. The men at the outposts consisted of Colonel 



From September to November, 1776 141 

Hand's First Regiment of Continental Foot, usually known 
as Hand's Riflemen. 

Upon the approach of the advance guard of the enemy 
toward the causeway on the morning of the twelfth, after 
they had accomplished their landing, the Americans removed 
the planks from the bridge in accordance with instructions and 
gathered on the west bank of the creek under the protection of 
an ancient tidal mill ; from which point they poured in a heavy 
rifle fire upon the advancing enemy, who fell back. An 
attempt to cross the creek at the ford was also repulsed by the 
riflemen there. The British contented themselves with these 
tentative efforts; and, finding the Americans in sufficient 
force to check their advance, threw up a semicircular intrench- 
ment to prevent the Americans, in their turn, from attempting 
to advance across the creek. Heath, having received notifica- 
tion of the landing and of the advance, dispatched the regiment 
of Colonel Prescott, the hero of Bunker Hill, the regiment of 
Colonel Graham of the New York Line, and two pieces of 
artillery; later, reinforcing with McDougal's brigade of New 
York troops. The Americans intrenched on the west side of 
the creek, and a desultory and ineffective fire was exchanged 
between the hostile outposts during the remainder of the day. 

In the movements of troops since October twelfth, many of 
them had been withdrawn from Manhattan Island to reinforce 
Heath, to watch the ships off Tarrytown, to the encampment 
on Valentine's Hill in the Mile Square, and to White Plains 
to protect the stores being moved to that place. A series of 
fortified camps had also been established on the west side of 
the Bronx River, extending from the Mile Square to White 
Plains. 

On the fourteenth, a council of war was called to meet at 
or near Kingsbridge, the place to be designated by General 



142 The Story of The Bronx 

Heath, "as we are strangers to a suitable place." On the 
same day, General Charles Lee arrived from the south; and 
being the senior major-general and next in rank to Washington, 
was entitled to the command of all the troops in the coimty ; 
but, though placed in command, he was requested not to exer- 
cise it until he had acquainted himself with the number and 
disposition of the troops and with the topography of the 
country; so that Heath remained the responsible commander. 
Considering the character of Lee, it is remarkable that he 
acceded to this request ; for, if we are to judge him by his own 
estimate of himself, all this knowledge and information should 
have been his intuitively from his very presence on the ground. 

On the evening of the same day, all possible information 
being in possession of the officers, the council of war reassem- 
bled at the quarters of General Lee at Kingsbridge. There 
were present, besides the Commander-in-chief, Major-Generals 
Lee, Putnam, Heath, Spencer, and Sullivan, and Brigadier- 
Generals Lord Stirling, Mifflin, McDougal, Parsons, Nixon, 
Wadsworth, Scott, Fellows, Clinton, and Lincoln, and Colonel 
Knox, commanding the artillery. With only one dissentient 
voice, that of General George Clinton, it was decided that it 
was not possible in their present positions to prevent the 
American army from being cut off from the upper county, 
and that a retirement was not only expedient but necessary to 
prevent the surrender of the army as prisoners of war. In 
deference to the ill-advised wishes of the Continental Congress, 
it was decided to maintain Fort Washington as long as possible. 

On the fifteenth, the movement of troops to the relief of 
Heath continued; on the sixteenth, Washington finished his 
survey of the threatened points by visiting Pell's Point and 
directing the establishment of an outpost at the entrance to 
the Neck. How important that act was we shall see later. 



From September to November, 1776 143 

During the six days after his landing at Throgg's Neck, 
Howe was establishing a base there and receiving numerous 
reinforcements. At last, word came of the arrival of seventy- 
two ships with the German mercenaries under Knyphausen. 
On the morning of the eighteenth, Howe embarked his army in 
over two hundred boats, protected by the smaller war vessels, 
and passed from the northern side of Throgg's Neck across 
Eastchester Bay, and landed at the end of Pell's Point, oppo- 
site City Island. The post at Westchester saw the movements 
in its front and immediately notified Heath, who came up with 
numerous reinforcements, which, upon the receipt of an 
express from the alarm post at the ford stating that the enem}^ 
were attempting a crossing there, were diverted to its support. 
No advance was made by the enemy at either point; and 
Washington, who was personally on the ground, believed that 
the enemy's movement was a feint and that his real point of 
attack would be at Morrisania; he therefore ordered Heath 
and his troops to that position to watch the enemy. Howe's 
landing was successfully made at Pell's Point; and nothing 
prevented the capture or destruction of the widely scattered 
American army but the outpost at the entrance of the neck, 
which has been mentioned above. 

This outpost had been strengthened by the brigade of Gen- 
eral James Clinton, who, however, was not personally on the 
ground. It consisted of the regiments of Colonels Glover, 
Shepard, Read, and Baldwin, in all about seven hundred and 
fifty men with three field-pieces, all under command of Colonel 
Glover, whose regiment was composed of Marbleheaders, 
sturdy fishermen and sailors of Massachusetts. Their amphibi- 
ous qualities had been utilized by Washington in the with- 
drawal of the army from Brooklyn after the defeat of Long 
Island, Glover being in charge of the embarkation of the troops 



144 The Story of The Bronx 

into the boats manned by his fishermen-soldiers, whose 
muffled oars made no sound to betray the retreat to the enemy 
on that foggy August morning; and later, when Trenton was 
the object of that sad but glorious Christmas march, it was 
these same Marbleheaders who took the army across the 
Delaware through the drifting masses of ice. 

This brigade was encamped in the neighborhood of the 
Boston Post-road, somewhere in the town of Eastchester. 
The British movement was concealed from the outpost near 
the shore by the darkness of the early morning; and the land- 
ing had actually been made before it was discovered by Glover 
himself, who instantly sent an express to Lee at Valentine's 
Hill, over three miles distant. It does not appear that Lee 
gave any orders, or sent any troops to Glover's support, but 
spent the day inactively, so that the glory of the day belongs 
to Glover and the brave men under his command. Upon dis- 
covering the landing. Glover at once ordered the brigade under 
arms and advanced them toward the point, leaving his own 
regiment with the field-pieces as a reserve under command of 
Captain Curtis; so that the number of men actually engaged 
in the fight which followed did not exceed four hundred. 

Glover advanced a guard of forty men in command of a 
captain by way of the road toward City Island ; while he placed 
the regiment of Colonel Read behind a stone wall on the north 
side of the road, the regiment of Colonel Shepard farther to 
the rear on the south side of the road, behind a fine double 
stone wall, and the re^ment of Colonel Baldwin still farther 
to the rear behind the regiment of Colonel Read on the north 
side of the road. These positions probably extended on to the 
Prospect Hill, or "Split Rock," road. Having completed 
his arrangements for the ambuscade, he rode forward to his 
advanced guard. 




P-i o 









m 



M 


»— 1 


C 


^ 


'M 


o 


o 
o 


o 

Pi 


K-! 


y 


_c 


> 


'o 


o 






Ph 


O 



Oh 



O 



m 




u 



'T! 


2 


ct3 


3 
o 


>> 


pq 




S-i 


CU 




yj 


13 


^! 


s 



u 



> 


&. 


o 


o 


+J 


H 




0) 




o 


S 


il 


o 




o 


G 


hJ 


n 



"o xn 



"oj 


> 


Ph 


<D 


t^_, 


^ 


O 


H 


TJ 




G 




S 


-d 


O 


n! 


u 


O 


ba 


Pi 


i 








rt 


Clj 


pq 


In 




KH 


<u 




^ 




H 





From September to November, 1776 145 

Rodman's Neck is almost an island, the tide ebbing and 
flowing over the salt meadows which separate it from the 
mainland. The City Island road passes over the meadows 
on a causeway, both ends of which were heavily wooded; the 
meadows, about two hundred and fifty yards across, are clear. 
To the south, at the west end of the causeway, are two great 
boulders marking the first position of the patriots, and where 
the fight began. From the causeway to the British landing- 
place near the Bowne house is about a mile and a half. The 
view looking east was taken from the top of the smaller boulder 
and shows the road leading from Pell's Point, over which the 
enemy advanced. 

As Glover's advanced guard of forty men approached the 
causeway, a similar advanced guard of the enemy debouched 
unexpectedly from the woods across the meadows. Glover 
ordered his men to advance toward the approaching foe, and 
when about fifty yards apart, the British poured in a heavy 
but ineffective fire; the return fire of the Americans "fell four 
of them," as Glover quaintly remarks. A spirited fire was 
maintained for a few minutes, during which two Americans 
were killed and several wounded ; but the enemy, now heavily 
reinforced, compelled the guard to retreat. The British, sup- 
posing the victory to be theirs, pursued the fleeing Americans ; 
when suddenly, within thirty yards of them, arose a long line 
of men from behind a stone wall, who poured in a murderous 
volley, compelling the British in their turn to flee without 
returning the fire. Five volleys were fired by Read's regiment 
upon the mass of chasseurs, grenadiers, and light infantry 
crowded upon the narrow road. 

For an hour and a half, so it is stated, no further attack was 
made. Then a heavy body of the enemy, supported by seven 
pieces of artillery, and comprising about four thousand men. 



146 The Story of The Bronx 

once more advanced along the road, shouting and firing their 
guns harmlessly at their invisible foes. Suddenly, from Read's 
regiment again came an unexpected and death-dealing volley, 
which brought the British to a halt and a realization of the 
strength of their adversaries. Seven volleys are said to have 
been fired by the Americans, while the British and their Ger- 
man mercenaries poured in "showers of musquetry and can- 
non-balls. ' ' Read's work was done and he withdrew to beyond 
the flank of Shepard's regiment on the opposite side of the road. 

The British, having learned nothing from their previous 
experiences and believing the Americans were repulsed, ad- 
vanced in solid masses in pursuit ; when from the double stone 
wall on their left flank, Shepard's regiment arose and poured in 
volley after volley upon the now panic-stricken men whose 
officers had great difficulty in rallying them. But the dis- 
parity in numbers was too great, and the Americans withdrew 
behind the third Hne of Baldwin's regiment. 

The enemy had now learned something and advanced cau- 
tiously in pursuit. Baldwin's fire was well delivered, but the 
British had the advantage of position and were able to use their 
artillery to the discomfiture of the Americans. Stubbornly 
and slowly the Americans fell back over the "Split Rock" 
road and Wolf's Lane until they reached the Boston Post-road, 
where they crossed Hutchinson's River, removed the planks 
from the bridge and took position on the heights overlooking 
the stream, where Captain Curtis was in reserve with the 
artillery. The British cautiously followed the retiring Ameri- 
cans, with whom there was a constant interchange of shots, 
until they reached the river, when they stopped the pursuit. 
An artillery fire was kept up on both sides until late in the day, 
but little or no damage was done on either side. 

Glover says: "After fighting all day, without victuals or 



From September to November, 1776 147 

drink, ^ lay as a picquet all night, the heavens over us and the 
earth under us, which was all we had, having left all our 
baggage at the old encampment we left in the morning." The 
next day, Saturday the eighteenth, the brigade withdrew to 
the Mile Square, three miles distant, to the westward of the 
Bronx River. 

This engagement has been called the Battle of Pell's Point, 
and it is the most important, both from its effects and from the 
number of men engaged, that took place within the Borough, 
though part of the line of retreat is in the present village of 
Pelham Manor, and the final position of the Americans is in 
the present city of Mount Vernon; the beginning and main 
part of the battle were within the present Pelham Bay Park. 

The American loss was six men killed, and Colonel Shepard 
and twelve men wounded. At this time, no report of the 
losses of the German mercenaries was made, except to their 
respective sovereigns; but from the statements of deserters 
who came into the American lines from different regiments and 
at different places during the following week, and from both 
official and unofficial sources, the British loss can be reliably 
placed at between eight hundred and one thousand in killed, 
wounded and missing. General Gage reported the entire loss 
in killed and wounded at Bunker Hill as one thousand and 
fifty-four; so that this battle, which many histories ignore, 
was almost equally disastrous to the British arms.^ 

Further, it saved the American army ; for Howe had received 
such a check as to convince him that he could not advance 
into the cotmty with impunity. He delayed his movements 

* There was plenty of drinkable water along the way; but by "drink" 
Glover evidently means rum, the almost indispensable beverage of the 
yeoman class of which his command was composed. 

^ Dawson, in Scharf 's History of Westchester County ; William Abbatt 
in the Battle of PelVs Point, and Avery's History of the United States. 



148 The Story of The Bronx 

until the twentieth, when he advanced to the heights above 
New Rochelle, where, two days later, he was joined by the 
second division of the Germans, consisting of eight thousand 
men under General Knyphausen, who had landed at New 
York on the eighteenth and been transported in boats to 
Davenport's Neck in New Rochelle. 

Washington in general orders, dated Headquarters, Harlem 
Heights, Oct. 21, 1776, complimented Colonel Glover and his 
command. 

"At the same time, he hopes that every part of the Army 
will do their duty with equal duty [sic] and zeal when- 
ever called upon; and that neither dangers, difficulties, nor 
hardships will discourage soldiers engaged in the cause of 
Liberty, and contending for all that freemen hold dear and 
valuable." 

On October twentieth, Washington learned through the 
investigations of an engineer officer, Colonel Rufus Putnam, of - 
the presence of the British at New Rochelle and of the danger 
to the stores at White Plains. He personally visited the 
latter place on the twenty-first, inspected the ground, selected 
the new positions of the troops, and returned to the neighbor- 
hood of Kingsbridge, where the movements preparatory to 
retreat were already in progress. The retreat began the same 
day by way of Valentine's Hill and the roads to the westward 
of the Bronx River, the main route being over what is now 
called the "pipe line," via Tuckahoe. With the progress of 
this masterly withdrawal of the whole army in the face of a 
superior enemy, without loss to the retiring army in either 
men or stores, it is without our province to speak. It showed 
the military genius of the Commander-in-chief to be of the 
first class. The Battle of White Plains occurred on the 



From September to November, 1776 149 

twenty-eighth ; and on the fourth of November, General Howe 
withdrew from the front of the Americans, his Westchester 
campaign a complete failure. 

Upon the withdrawal of the American troops from their 
positions at Fordham and Kingsbridge, the barracks and store- 
houses were destroyed and the redoubts dismantled, the guns 
being rendered useless or being taken with the retiring army. 
Trees were felled across the roads both on Manhattan and in 
the Borough to render them as impassable to the enemy as 
possible; and both bridges, the King's and the Farmers', were 
dismantled. The troops who remained were gathered within 
the defences of Fort Washington, while Nathanael Greene, 
with a small force, occupied Fort Lee on the New Jersey shore, 
in general command of both forts. 

When Howe left New Rochelle on the twenty-second for 
his advance against White Plains, he left the newly arrived 
Germans behind him. On the twenty-eighth, Knyphausen 
took up his march to Kingsbridge, via the old Boston Road 
over the Bronx River at Williamsbridge. Upon arriving at 
Kingsbridge, he repaired the bridges and took possession of 
the abandoned works of the Americans. Here he was joined 
by the other divisions of the army after their withdrawal from 
White Plains, some by way of Dobbs Ferry and Yonkers, 
others by way of New Rochelle; and preparations were made 
for the reduction of Fort Washington. Lord Cornwallis, with 
his troops on a flotilla of boats, came up the river from Harlem 
and passed through Spuyten Duyvil Creek to the Hudson for 
an attack upon the fort from the river side. Two redoubts, 
Seven and Eight, were thrown up on Fordham Heights, just 
north of Biirnside Avenue, and on the sixteenth of November 
they began to fire on the American outworks, to cover the attack 
by the Germans. Later in the day, the fort was carried by 



150 The Story of The Bronx 

assault, and Magaw, Cadwallader, and their brave troops, 
picked men of the American army, to the number of over three 
thousand, became prisoners of war; many of them to die in the 
prisons of the British, victims of the brutaHty of Cunningham 
and Loring. 

The American works were repaired and strengthened and 
renamed Fort Knyphausen. Strong detachments occupied 
the two redoubts on Manhattan, the Cock Hill fort and Port 
Prince Charles, while posts were established at the two bridges 
for their protection. From the British orders of November 
22, 1776, certain troops are notified: "Four Days' Provisions, 
from the 23d to the 26th, inclusive, will be issued to-morrow 
at Dyckman's Bridge." In the same orders: "Lieut-Gen. 
Knyphausen will command upon the Heights of Fordham," 
and "A weekly Guard, of an Officer and twenty Dragoons, 
from New York to King's Bridge." 

General Knyphausen took up his quarters in the Roger 
Morris house, so recently occupied by Washington for the 
same purpose. This house he was to occupy, off and on, for 
seven years, or until the British evacuated the city. 



CHAPTER VIII 

THE REVOLUTION FROM NOVEMBER, 1 776, TO END OF WAR 

THUS far during the Revolution, the contest within the 
Borough had been sustained by two large armies 
carrying on a regular and systematic plan of cam- 
paign. From the fall of Fort Washington in November, 1776, 
until its reoccupation by the Americans in November, 1783, 
a period of seven years, the contest was carried on by smaller 
bodies of troops and bands of marauders engaged in partisan 
warfare, with all the bitterness and distress that the name 
implies. Not a week passed without some raid or outrage 
perpetrated upon the inhabitants, and skirmishes were con- 
stant between both the regular and the irregular troops of 
both sides. 

In 1776, after the Battle of Long Island, Oliver De Lancey 
was authorized to raise three battalions of loyalists from the 
Tories of Long Island, New Jersey, and New York, and was 
appointed brigadier-general in command of the district of 
Long Island, Two of these battalions saw service in the South ; 
the third, known as the Westchester Light Horse, was re- 
cruited principally from the inhabitants of the Borough, of 
other parts of Westchester County and of Connecticut. It was 
commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel James De Lancey of West 
Farms, a son of "Peter of the Mills," and nephew of Brigadier 

151 



152 The Story of The Bronx 

Oliver. The Queen's Rangers, organized by the renegade 
Rogers, and, after the Battle of the Brandywine, commanded 
by Lieutenant-Colonel John G. Simcoe, was another loyalist 
battalion recruited from the neighborhood of New York. In 
addition to these two regiments, there were the Chasseurs of 
Lieutenant-Colonel Emmerick, partly German and partly 
loyalist, and a loyalist battalion commanded by Major 
Baremore. 

After the loss of Fort Washington, the Americans withdrew 
to the Jerseys, and the brilliant successes of Trenton and 
Princeton followed. General Lee was left in Westchester 
County, but Heath was assigned to the command of the High- 
lands and below, with headquarters at Peekskill. Lee finally 
departed, and Heath was left without a superior in the district. 
He established a line of posts from the mouth of the Croton 
River to the Sound at Portchester, then called the "Sawpits." 
In the spring of 1777, the British reoccupied the abandoned 
fortifications of the Americans on the mainland, restored and 
strengthened them, and built several new ones. Their line 
of outposts extended from Philipse's Manor (Yonkers) through 
Mile Square, Williamsbridge, and Eastchester, with an interior 
line of posts at Kingsbridge, Fordham Heights, Morrisania, 
West Farms, and Westchester, while the various necks and 
points of land extending into the East River were not neg- 
lected. There was thus left between the two opposing 
armies a wide space of the county, which was subject to the 
forays and marauds of both sides; — this constituted the 
famous Neutral Ground. 

Both sides were equally active in these expeditions; but as 
the Borough was British ground, it is with the American raids 
into it that we shall principally deal. On account of the suc- 
cess that De Lancey's Horse met with in supplying the British 



November, 1776, to September, 1783 153 

army with beef, his troops came to be known as the Cowboys, 
a nickname that soon spread to all the British troops and 
loyalists engaged in the Neutral Ground, but more especially to 
the Tories. The American marauders, in their turn, were 
called Skinners, and they were even more blood-thirsty, thiev- 
ing, and treacherous than the British; in fact, they robbed 
entirely for their own benefit, using patriotism as a cloak to 
cover their infamous deeds. If the irregulars of either side 
were captured, the nearest tree usually sealed their fate. The 
author has run across several "Cowboy trees" within the 
Borough; but as they were within the British lines, he is 
inclined to believe the fruit they once bore was Skinner and 
not Cowboy. ' 

In addition to the battalions already mentioned, there was 
stationed, until Lord Comwallis began his southern campaign, 
a body of dragoons or light horse under command of Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel Banastre Tarleton, a name well hated even by 
the average school child of to-day, on account of his sobriquet 
of "Bloody" Tarleton. The other commands were usually 
composed of German mercenaries, whose willingness to come 
to America had been increased by the promise held out to them 
by the British authorities that they could add to their pay by 
plundering the inhabitants ; which they proceeded to do with 
strict impartiality to loyalist and patriot alike. The popular 
notion is that they could do nothing else but plunder; but one 
has only to visit Chatterton's Hill at White Plains, where they 
led the "forlorn hope," or the steep sides of Fort Tryon at 
Inwood, to learn the fact that they could fight as well as plun- 
der. The German yagers, whom Lossing calls "hired assas- 
sins," were notorious for their pltmdering. The remainder 

* The Spy, by J. Fenimore Cooper, gives the best account of the Skinners 
and the Neutral Ground that can be found anywhere. 



154 The Story of The Bronx 

of the forces occupying the Borough were British light infantry 
or squadrons of light horse, and small bands or companies 
of loyalist refugees, whose commanders were too obscure to 
merit record. 

The earliest reoccupation of the Borough by British troops 
was on November 3, 1776, when the British General Grant 
occupied De Lancey's Mills at West Farms, and the regiment 
of Waldeckers took possession of the vicinity of Williams- 
bridge. Howe's headquarters were at De Lancey's Mills 
during the preparations for the attack on Fort Washington. 
The posts already mentioned were extended well into the 
country during the summer, but were withdrawn to the Har- 
lem River and the Sound during the winter, when the soldiers 
occupied barracks and huts erected for quarters. For fire- 
wood they used the fences, barns, and houses of the neighbor- 
ing farmers and denuded their land of its standing timber to 
supply the garrison and people of the city. The farmers, thus 
deprived of house and home, took refuge within the lines of 
either side, and, taking up the sword, took a merciless revenge 
when opportunity offered. The section between the lines 
became a desolate wilderness with abandoned farms, grass- 
grown roads, and broken-down bridges. John Archer's village 
of Fordham between the two bridges at Kingsbridge disap- 
peared as firewood for the chasseurs of Emmerick, whose camp 
was located at that spot. 

At "Upper Cortlandt's," on the bluff to the west of Van 
Cortlandt Park and overlooking the Albany Road, was an out- 
post of light troops, usually composed of both mounted and 
foot yagers, and of detachments of all the German regiments 
in New York. In 1778, it consisted of five companies of foot 
and one of mounted yagers under Lieutenant-Colonel van 
Wurmb; and in the following year, of yagers and the corps of 



November, 1776, to September, 1783 155 

Lord Rawdon, afterwards famous in the southern campaign 
for his defeat of Gates at Camden. From this outpost, fre- 
quent patrols were made to the vicinity of Yonkers and beyond 
and towards the Mile Square and Valentine's Hill. At the 
Mile Square, De Lancey kept a recruiting officer at all times. 
Upon one occasion in 1777, a band of Americans came near 
falling into an ambuscade near Williamsbridge ; but a young 
girl saw the movements of both sides and cautioned the Ameri- 
cans by waving to them from an upper window of her house. 
On these excursions, the yagers generally took along a couple 
of light three-pounder field-pieces called amusettes. 

These patrolling parties, gathering up recruits, cattle, hay, 
and what not, as well as looking out for the enemy, did not 
always come and go unmolested; for Sheldon's dragoons, 
Major Harry Lee, or the fiery and impetuous Frenchman, 
De Armond, with his corps of compatriots, were often lying in 
wait for the British; and as the Valentines, Corsas, Hadleys, 
and other families of the neighborhood were patriots, timely 
notice of the British movements was sent to the American 
commanders on the lines, while the informants, acting as 
guides, led them to convenient spots where the marauders could 
be intercepted. Andrew Corsa and the Dyckmans became 
famous as Westchester guides; nor must we forget Enoch 
Crosby (the Harvey Birch of Cooper's The Spy), whose fav- 
orite route between the lines was by way of the Mill Brook 
valley at Morrisania. 

In the summer of 1777, Lord Cathcart commanded in the 
neighborhood of Kingsbridge, with Emmerick's Chasseurs, 
the Queen's Rangers, and the partisan bands of Hovenden, 
James, and Sandford. De Lancey's headquarters were at the 
manor-house at Morrisania. He was a special object of in- 
terest to the Americans, and many attempts were made by 



156 The Story of The Bronx 

them to capture him ; but he was always too wary or too for- 
tunate for his enemies, and he always escaped them. Upon 
one occasion in 1777, he rode to West Farms to visit his aged 
mother. His thoroughbred stallion True Briton was tied to 
a fence, where it was seen by some American scouts, who 
recognized its value and stole it. The horse was taken to 
White Plains and sold to an enterprising Yankee from Con- 
necticut, who used him for breeding purposes and thus began 
the famous line of Morgan horses. 

On January 25, 1777, some Americans attacked the block- 
house erected by De Lancey at West Farms ; but the attempt 
was unsuccessful; for, though some of the loyalists were 
wounded, none was killed or captured. 

On January 5, 1777, Washington, believing the post at New 
York to be weak on accotmt of the main British army being 
in New Jersey and many detached for duty in Rhode Island, 
directed Heath to approach Kingsbridge, and, if circumstances 
promised success, to attack the fortifications there. It was 
hoped that, even if the forts could not be taken, the movement 
would oblige the British to detach large bodies of men from 
New Jersey or Rhode Island for the reinforcement of New 
York, thus threatened by attack. In accordance with these 
instructions, on the seventeenth. Heath began a concerted 
movement in force against Fort Independence. 

General Lincoln advanced by the Albany Post-road to the 
heights above Van Cortlandt Park; General Scott came from 
Scarsdale to the vicinity of the Valentine house on the Boston 
Road, between Williamsbridge and Kingsbridge, and Generals 
Wooster and Parsons marched from New Rochelle over the 
Boston Road to the same neighborhood. On the morning of 
the eighteenth, the three divisions arrived at the enemy's out- 
posts just before sunrise. Lincoln captured the outpost in his 



November, 1776, to September, 1783 157 

front at " Upper Cortlandt's." Heath ordered the cannonade 
of the Valentine house, if the guard there resisted, and sent 
two hundred and fifty men into the valley between the house 
and the fort to cut off the guard in case they tried to retreat 
to the fort. Two mounted British pickets came unexpectedly 
upon the head of Wooster's column at the Gun Hill Road near 
Williamsbridge, and fled to give the alarm. One was dis- 
mounted by a shot from a field-piece and captured; but the 
other escaped, shouting: "The rebels! the rebels!" and alarm- 
ing all the British outposts and pickets, who at once dropped 
everything and ran for the fort. The garrisons of Valentine's 
and the Negro Fort fled toward Fort Independence and were 
fired upon by the pursuing Americans, and one of them was 
taken prisoner. 

Heath then advanced upon the fort and demanded its sur- 
render, which was refused. The garrison consisted of a body 
of Hessians and the Queen's Rangers. Two field-pieces were 
then sent to a hill south of the fort not far from Farmers' 
Bridge and they began a cannonade upon a battalion of Hes- 
sians on the other side of the Harlem, near Hyatt's tavern. In 
order to get a better shot at the Hessians, one of the pieces was 
lowered down the side of the hill to the water's edge; when, to 
the surprise of the Americans, the redoubt near the bridge 
opened fire on them from cannon which they did not suspect 
were there; and they were compelled to scramble up the hill, 
dragging their gun behind them, to a lively accompaniment of 
cannon-balls from the British redoubt. Heath says : 

"This success at the outposts flew through the country and 
was soon magnified into a reduction of the fort, and capture 
of the garrison." Washington so reported it to Congress 
before receiving the official report, and great disappointment 
followed subsequently when the final results were known. 



158 The Story of The Bronx 

From the nineteenth to the twenty-fourth, there wa^ con- 
stant cannonading from both sides and occasional skirmishing 
in which both combatants lost several men in killed and 
wounded. An attempt was planned on the nineteenth to cross 
the ice early on the following morning and cut off the detach- 
ment of Hessians at Kingsbridge, and one thousand men were 
detailed for the purpose ; but the weather grew warmer during 
the night, and the ice became unsafe, so the attempt was 
abandoned. On the twenty-first, a field-piece was hauled up 
Tippett's Hill, and opened fire on the outposts on Manhattan, 
throwing them into confusion and compelling them to seek 
refuge within the redoubts and in the cellars. On the twenty- 
fourth, the weather moderated and a heavy rain set in, so that 
the Americans withdrew from the vicinity of the fort. Many 
cartridges were ruined by the wet, as the cartridge boxes were 
so poorly made. The Bronx River rose so high that the water 
flowed over the bridge at Williams's and impeded the with- 
drawal of the divisions of Wooster and Scott to New Rochelle. 

On the twenty-fifth, early in the morning, the enemy made a 
sally upon the regiment stationed as an outpost at De Lancey's 
Mills and surprised jand routed it and compelled it to with- 
draw. Several were wounded, but none was killed or taken 
prisoner. Flushed with this success, the enemy then followed 
the retiring Americans towards Williamsbridge, driving in the 
pickets and outposts, who took refuge in the redoubt situated 
to the west of the bridge, while the British took position 
behind a stone wall and sent in a hot fire. Some of the troops 
had already crossed the Bronx River, but Heath ordered Cap- 
tain Bryant of the artillery to ford the bridge and the troops to 
follow and support him. When Bryant had almost reached 
the top of the hill, where the reservoir now is, he unlimbered his 
horses to prevent them from being shot, and the gun was 



November, 1776, to September, 1783 159 

drawn up by hand almost within pistol shot of the enemy, as 
the hill was so steep that the gun could not be depressed enough 
to do execution without getting close. Two shots were fired 
which opened breaches in the wall, whereupon the British 
fled precipitately toward Kingsbridge. Two Americans were 
killed and several were wounded. This skirmish has given 
the name "Gun Hill" to the hill and road to the westward of 
the Williamsbridge railroad station. 

While it was not the ultimate intention to besiege Port 
Independence, everything was done by the Americans to make 
the enemy believe that the attack was a serious one, with the 
hope of drawing him out of his strongholds. A detachment 
was sent down to Morrisania to light a large number of fires, 
and a number of flat boats was sent to the same place, with 
the intention of making him believe that a strong force was 
gathering for a descent upon York Island. This so alarmed 
the guard at Montressor's (Randall's) Island, that they fired 
the buildings and fled to New York; and, it is stated that a 
brigade was sent to reinforce Fort Washington, and orders 
sent to Rhode Island for a detachment from that place. 

On the twenty-ninth, there was every appearance of a heavy 
snow-storm, and the generals having unanimously agreed that 
it was impracticable to assault the fort with militia, the troops 
were ordered to withdraw, and this time, in earnest. A good 
deal of forage was carried off, and the divisions returned in a 
heavy fall of snow to their former positions at Dobbs Ferry^ 
New Rochelle, and White Plains. The whole force, with the 
exception of a few artillerymen, consisted of militia. It was 
one of the few times during the war when they showed them- 
selves capable and reliable; and this too for ten days and in the 
midst of winter. 

On the thirtieth, the storm cleared up, and a fleet of twenty 



i6o The Story of The Bronx 

vessels from the eastward came to anchor between Hart and 
City islands, probably with British troops on board from 
Rhode Island. On the thirty-first, the Americans established 
a cordon of troops from Dobbs Ferry to Mamaroneck on the 
Sound to prevent raids from below; and on the sixth of Feb- 
ruary an ineffective raid was made by Colonel Enos with a 
strong detachment against Fort Independence with the hope 
of surprising the enemy's outposts, but the enemy was too 
watchful. Two days later, the inhabitants of the Borough 
were subjected to a grand forage on the part of the patriots. 

Early in the spring of 1777, the British established the posts 
already mentioned and engaged in raids upon the upper county. 
The year was a momentous one; and the attention of the 
Americans was too busily engaged with Burgoyne, with 
Clinton's attempts to get control of the Hudson, and with 
Howe's advance on Philadelphia to pay much heed to the pre- 
datory warfare in which they were later forced to engage in 
the Neutral Ground by the similar actions of the British. Dur- 
ing the whole of the years 1777 and 1778, the British were 
active, and had large bodies of troops at Verplanck's Point and 
in the vicinity of the Highlands; but by August first of this 
latter year they had retired below Kingsbridge, leaving only 
Emmerick's and Baremore's battalions above the Harlem 
River. 

During the greater part of the war, the British kept a num- 
ber of vessels stationed in the Sound as guard- and patrol-ships. 
The inhabitants themselves had a number of whale-boats in 
which they made raids across the Sound upon the Tories of 
Long Island, in retaliation for the grievances they suffered 
from the crews of these ships. In 1777, the guard- vessel 
stationed off the mouth of Eastchester Creek was theSchuldam. 
A whale-boat party from Darien, Connecticut, carried their 



November, 1776, to September, 1783 i6i 

boat across Rodman's Neck one night and took possession of 
the market-sloop which plied regularly between Eastchester 
and New York, carrying vegetables and other supplies. From 
her captain, they learned that he was in the habit of supplying 
the Schuldam with chickens, eggs, vegetables, and other farm 
products ; so they concealed themselves in the hold of the sloop 
and compelled her master to lay her alongside of the guard- 
ship. As they approached the Schuldam, her watch called 
out: "What sloop is that?" The captain of the whale-boat 
party answered: "The Little Stanton." "Take care! take 
care! you will be afoul of us!" shouted the watch. "Never 
fear!" they yelled back; then added: "The whale-boats are 
out on the Sound to-night, and we wish to get under your lee." 
In another minute, the sloop had been run alongside the Schul- 
dam, and the crew of twelve men clambered aboard and cap- 
tured her before her crew could be aroused from sleep. The 
watch was driven below, but the noise of the affray aroused the 
British on City Island, and they began to fire upon the Ameri- 
cans. As the Schuldam was a much larger vessel than they 
were accustomed to handle, her captors obliged two of the 
prisoners, whom they afterwards set at liberty, to navigate her 
into port. Before reaching Stamford, they took six other ves- 
sels bound for New York with cargoes of wood. 

A short time afterward, another party of whale-boatmen 
captured the island, but immediately paroled the inhabitants. 
At a later period, it seems there was a tacit understanding 
between the British and the Americans, by which the former 
had possession of the island by day, and the latter at night. 

On August 5, 1778, immediately after the retirement of the 
British to the shore of the Harlem River, the Americans took 
the offensive and a body of one hundred horse, selected from 
the squadrons of Sheldon, Moylan, and the militia, with about 



1 62 The Story of The Bronx 

forty infantry from Glover's regiment, made a raid by way of 
De Lancey's Mills to Morrisania, where they came in contact 
with the enemy, who were posted at the manor-house. A 
sharp skirmish followed, with a loss to the Americans of two 
killed and two wounded ; the British loss was greater, and the 
Americans returned with a dozen prisoners, as well as stock 
and other plunder. On the fifteenth, the enemy tried to 
return the compliment ; but one of their number deserted and 
gave information to Lieutenant- Colonel White of the intent 
to surprise him, so that the scheme fell through. 

On the twentieth of August, while patrolling out the Mile 
Square Road, Emmerick and his chasseurs were attacked and 
compelled to return to their camp at Fordham. The Ameri- 
can force consisted of a body of light troops and a body of 
Stockbridge Indians, all under command of Colonel Gist. The 
troops of Gist were posted on each side of the road above the 
present Woodlawn Heights in two detachments, north of a 
brook which still finds its way through the woods from the hill 
above into the Bronx River, while a third party was posted 
about three hundred yards west of the road ; the Indians were 
between the last party and the road. The positions occupied 
by these last two were in the northeast corner of the present 
Van Cortlandt Park, between Mt. Vernon Avenue, the eastern 
boundary of the park, and Jerome Avenue, which runs through 
it. To the north of Vault Hill in the park, was a belt of woods 
in which the troops were concealed; the heights on which 
the main party was posted were also wooded and are in the 
city of Yonkers. 

Simcoe learned by means of his spies that the Indians were 
much elated by the victory over Emmerick and supposed that 
they had driven in his whole force. He took measures to 
increase this belief still further; and, sending for De Lancey's 



November, 1776, to September, 1783 163 

battalion and the Legion Dragoons of Tarleton, prepared a 
plan for the ambush and capture of the whole party of Ameri- 
cans and Indians. This was a combination of the ablest and 
most dashing partisans of the British army — Simcoe, Tarleton, 
Emmerick, and De Lancey. 

On the morning of August thirty-first, the attacking force 
advanced out the Mile Square Road and reached Woodlawn 
Heights about ten o'clock . The rangers and dragoons took 
post on the right of the road; while Emmerick was ordered 
forward to take post in Van Cortlandt's woods at the house 
of Frederick Devoe, about half a mile up a lane leading to the 
westward. By mistake, he took post near the house of Daniel 
Devoe near the entrance to the lane and road, and sent a patrol 
up the road. The intention was for Emmerick to draw the 
attack of the Americans and Indians and then retreat. The 
pursuing Americans would thus be led into the ambush of 
rangers and dragoons and the whole party would be captured 
or cut off. 

Before Simcoe, who was half-way up a tree reconnoitring, 
could stop the movement, he saw a flanking party of Ameri- 
cans approaching, while the Indians who lined the fence on 
Emmerick 's left began a smart fire upon the chasseurs. He 
therefore pushed up the brook towards Husted's Heights, 
where Colonels Gist and Stewart were in position, Tarleton 
meanwhile advancing up the road to Emmerick 's assistance. 
The stone fence bordering the road prevented Tarleton's 
dragoons from passing, and he was obliged to make a circuit 
to the right in order to regain the road. Simcoe, learning of 
Tarleton's difficulty, left his rangers with Major Ross, and, 
taking his company of grenadiers, pushed down the hill from 
Husted's into Van Cortlandt's woods and reached the left of 
the Indians without being seen by them, as they were so busily 



164 The Story of The Bronx 

engaged in firing upon Emmerick and Tarleton. With a yell, 
the Indians discovered their new assailants and fiired upon 
them, wounding Simcoe and four of his grenadiers. Being 
out-flanked and out-numbered the Indians were driven into 
the open fields south of the lane, where Tarleton and Emmerick 
got among them with their cavalry. The Indians fought gal- 
lantly, pulling some of the dragoons from their horses ; but the 
contest was too unequal, and they were forced to flee. The 
horsemen pursued them over the fields, through the woods, 
over Tippett's Brook to the heights to the westward of the 
Albany Road, where the survivors hid themselves behind rocks 
and in other places of safety and thus escaped. About forty 
of the Indians were killed and badly wounded, among the 
former being their old chief Nimham and his son. The chief 
called to his people to fly, saying: " I am old and can die here." 
He wounded Simcoe and was killed by Simcoe's orderly. 
Tarleton led the pursuit, and, while striking a fleeing Indian, 
lost his balance and fell from his horse. Fortunately for him, 
but unfortunately for the patriots of the Carolinas, the Indian 
had no bayonet and his gun was discharged, so that Tarleton 
escaped. During the pursuit, Simcoe and his rangers seized 
the heights at Husted's and captured an American captain and 
several of his men ; but the main body under Gist and Stewart 
escaped. The bodies of the dead Indians were buried in the 
clearing in Van Cortlandt's woods where they fell; and the 
place has since been known as " Indian Field." 

On October third, Lieutenant Gill of Moylan's dragoons 
was patrolling in Eastchester, when he discovered a body of 
cavalry in his rear; he either had to surrender or cut his way 
through. He chose the latter alternative and forced his way 
through, when he found a body of infantry behind the horse; 
these he also charged ; but his horse was wounded in the mdlee 



I 



November, 1776, to September, 1783 165 

and fell, throwing his rider a prisoner into the hands of the 
enemy. The American party consisted of twenty-four; two 
were killed and one taken prisoner; the rest escaped. 

On October twenty-seventh, Simcoe, while on a raid near 
South Amboy, New Jersey, was taken prisoner. "By the 
capture of Simcoe," says Heath, "the inhabitants were freed 
of a very enterprising and troublesome officer." He was later 
exchanged, and at once resumed the making of trouble. His 
career was continued in the South and he was with Comwallis 
at the time of the surrender of Yorktown; but he and his 
rangers, whom the patriots particularly desired to capture, 
escaped through a technicality in the terms of capitulation, of 
which Lord Comwallis naturally took advantage. 

On the seventh of November, Colonel De Armond proceeded 
by way of Tarrytown to the vicinity of Morrisania and sur- 
prised the house of Alderman William Leggett at Jeffeard's 
Neck (Leggett's, or Oak, Point), where he captured Major 
Baremore and five others. The expedition was carried out 
with secrecy, precaution, and despatch, and the capture of 
Baremore relieved the inhabitants from the frequent excur- 
sions of a troublesome raider. The house in which he was 
captured had been formerly the Graham mansion; but upon 
the occupation of this section by the British the family had 
been dispossessed to make room for the British officers. The 
last occupant of the house was a British colonel named Fowler, 
who, upon being detached from duty in this vicinity, invited 
his neighboring friends and acquaintances to a farewell dinner. 
The party had just sat down at the tables, when the house was 
reported to be on fire. The Colonel thereupon ordered the 
tables, chairs, and viands to be removed to the lawn, where the 
dinner was continued under the trees, while the house burned 
down without any efforts being made to save it from destruc- 



1 66 The Story of The Bronx 

tion. That same night, the Colonel led a marauding expedi- 
tion towards Eastchester, where a skirmish occurred with the 
Americans and he was mortally wounded. 

On November thirteenth, Lieutenant Oakley took five 
prisoners near Morrisania and came near capturing Colonel 
De Lancey, the active leader of the Westchester Light Horse, 
who occupied the Archer house lying under the guns of Fort 
Number Eight. 

On December second, De Armond made another raid toward 
Morrisania and captured Captain Cruger of Baremore's corps 
and two other prisoners. Cruger was exchanged later and 
became lieutenant-colonel of De Lancey's First Battalion of 
Loyalists, and as such, with a corps of New York loyalists, 
successfully held the redoubt at Ninety-Six, South Carolina, 
for twenty-seven days against the attack of Greene and 
Kosciuszko. 

The winter of 1 778-1 779 was an exceedingly cold one, and 
people passed from Long Island to New York on the ice. On 
February 7, 1779, a party of three hundred horse and a regi- 
ment of infantry crossed from Long Island to Westchester 
town. Notwithstanding, predatory operations continued. 

About January 19, 1779, a body of volunteers from the 
militia regiments at Greenwich, Connecticut, to the number of 
eighty, under command of Captains Keeler and Lockwood, 
marched to the house of Colonel Hatfield at Morrisania, near 
the site of High Bridge, and attacked it about one o'clock in 
the morning. They first surprised the pickets, killing three 
and driving the rest into the house, where the whole of the 
attacked party took to the upper floor and fired from the win- 
dows and down the stairs upon those who entered the house. 
The possibility of capturing the enemy under such circum- 
stances being remote, the house was fired by placing some bum- 



November, 1776, to September, 1783 167 

ing straw in one of the closets in the lower room. This com- 
pelled the defenders to jump from the windows to escape the 
flames, and the whole party, consisting of Colonel Hatfield, 
one captain, one lieutenant, one quartermaster, and eleven 
privates, was taken prisoner. On the return, a number of the 
soldiers, tired out by their night's work and believing there 
was no danger, straggled behind their companions and were 
overtaken by a body of horse sent in pursuit, so that several 
of them were killed or taken prisoners. 

The same winter of 1 778-1 779, Colonel Aaron Burr made 
an attack upon the block-house at West Farms in an attempt 
to destroy it. Provided with hand grenades, combustibles, and 
short ladders, about forty volunteers approached cautiously 
at two o'clock in the morning and cast their missiles into the 
fort through the port-holes. Soon the block-house was on 
fire, and the little garrison surrendered without firing a shot; 
a few escaped. The block-house commanded the crossing of 
the Bronx River at De Lancey's Mills. Its site was after- 
wards occupied by Mapes's Temperance Hotel at the north- 
east comer of East 179th Street and the Boston Road. 

In the autumn of 1779, the British began an active cam- 
paign in the South, and troops were withdrawn from New York 
and its vicinity. In order to contend with the American part- 
isans, — Marion, Pickens, Sumter, Lee, and others — similar 
corps were needed by the British, and so the light horse of 
Simcoe, Tarleton, and Emmerick, so long the scourges of the 
Neutral Ground, were withdrawn from the Borough and sent 
to Georgia and the Carolinas, where we find them doing active 
service against Morgan, Greene, and other patriot leaders. In 
consequence of these withdrawals, about the middle of Sep- 
tember, all of the redoubts at Spuyten Duyvil and Fordham 
Heights, including Number Four (Fort Independence), were 



i68 The Story of The Bronx 

dismantled and as thoroughly demolished as could be and their 
stores and garrisons removed to Manhattan Island, where the 
fortifications were still further increased in strength. The only- 
exception was Fort Number Eight, which was maintained till 
the end of the war as a base for the operations of De Lancey's 
corps and to guard the pontoon bridge over the Harlem River, 
as well as to serve as an alarm post to the garrisons at the 
northern end of Manhattan Island. The floating bridge over 
Spuyten Duyvil Creek was also removed. These posts were 
not occupied again by either party during the war, except 
during the grand reconnaissance of August, 1781, when Lincoln 
and De Chastellux took possession of Fort Independence with- 
out restoring or rearming it. 

In May, 1780, Captain Cushing of the Massachusetts Line, 
guided by Michael Dyckman, the famous Westchester guide, 
surprised De Lancey's battalion near Fort Number Eight and 
took over forty of them prisoners. On his retreat, Cushing was 
followed by a large force of yagers and others^-'^^s was 
another occasion when the commanding officer of the West- 
chester Light Horse was lucky enough to be absent from his 
command. / 

In a letter of Washington's, dated July 31, 1780, we learn 
that it is his intention to move rapidly in force upon Kings- 
bridge with the object of compelling Sir Henry Clinton to aban- 
don his projected attack upon the newly arrived French at 
Rhode Island, or of striking him in this quarter if his troops 
had been decreased by eight thousand, the ntunber he was 
reported to have sent for the attack on Rochambeau. The 
army was moved across from the west side of the Hudson to 
Peekskill and the march toward New York taken up ; but Clin- 
ton, whose departure from Throgg's Neck had been delayed by 
the non-arrival of sufficient transports for his troops, received 



November, 1776, to September, 1783 169 

intelligence of Washington's movement and so gave up the 
Rhode Island expedition and returned to New York. This, 
in turn, obliged Washington to abandon his plan, and the troops 
were again returned to their cantonments on the west shore of 
the Hudson. On the twenty-first of September, the British 
force from Harlem to Kingsbridge was reported at fifteen 
hundred. 

Dtu-ing December of this year, rumors reached the Ameri- 
cans that De Lancey was planning a raid into North Castle, 
above White Plains, and the lines were disposed so as to meet 
him. The expedition was made on the twenty-ninth, and De 
Lancey's party of one hundred infantry and fifty horse was 
turned back and most of their plunder retaken. 

On January 18 and 19, 1781, troops were ordered down for 
an expedition imder Lieutenant-Colonel William Hull (the 
commander of Detroit, War of 18 12) for an attempt against 
De Lancey's post at Morrisania. Hull's force consisted of 
about three hundred men. He surrounded the loyalists, forced 
a passage to their camp, destroyed the pontoon bridge, took 
fifty prisoners, burned the huts and forage, and took a large 
number of cattle which he drove up to the American lines. He 
was closely pursued, but his covering party under Lieutenant- 
Colonel Hazen attacked the pursuers and killed and captured 
thirty-five more. Hull's loss was twenty-six men in killed, 
wounded, and missing. The enemy retaliated on the seven- 
teenth of February by raiding Bedford, where they burned 
five houses, plundered and stripped the inhabitants, and re- 
turned with eight prisoners, three of whom were lieutenants in 
the army. On the twentieth, six of our guides reconnoitring 
towards Kingsbridge, fell in with a similar party of De Lan- 
cey's and took five of them prisoners, all wounded. Number 
Eight continued to be a favorite point of attack, for, on the 



170 The Story of The Bronx 

fifth of March, three more prisoners were taken near it. Per- 
haps, the hope of taking De Lancey himself, whose quarters 
had been removed from the manor-house of Morrisania to the 
protection of Number Eight on account of the frequency of 
attacks at the former place, may have served to guide the 
Americans to his neighborhood. 

In March and April, the traitor Arnold was engaged in 
gathering a large number of fiatboats in Spuyten Duyvil Creek 
for some projected expedition on the part of the British; on 
the eighth of April, these were removed down the East River. 

On July 21, 1 78 1, Washington advanced in force to the 
neighborhood of Kingsbridge with the intention of cutting off 
the various light corps of the British and loyalists who had 
been harassing the Americans. General Lincoln and the Mar- 
quis de Chastellux threw their troops into Fort Independence, 
and the British on Manhattan fired on them. Several of our 
troops were killed and wounded by the long shots of the yagers, 
who kept up a popping fire whenever they could reach the 
Americans. The advance was unsuccessful for the object it 
had in view ; but the British were obliged to withdraw from 
the mainland. De Lauzun, who commanded the left wing of 
the French army at Eastchester, with Sheldon's dragoons 
and the Connecticut militia, was to scour the country toward 
Throgg's Neck, Westchester, and De Lancey's Mills with the 
hope of destroying or capturing the loyalist bands in that vicin- 
ity. He heard the firing toward Kingsbridge and pushed 
rapidly to the assistance of Lincoln and De Chastelltix. 

After this attempt, the combined armies fell back and took 
positions well down in the Neutral Ground. On the sixth of 
August, General Washington and the Count de Rochambeau 
with their staffs and a strong detachment of cavalry and infan- 
try as a covering party, made a grand reconnaissance and 



November, 1776, to September, 1783 171 

inspection of the fortifications on Manhattan. The whole 
combined army was advanced for the purpose, and the two com- 
manders rode from Kingsbridge to Morrisania, to the heights 
of what is now Franz Sigel Park, making a careful inspection 
through their glasses of the enemy's positions, while their 
engineers made notes of the redoubts and of the topography. 
The British opened fire upon the distinguished group and sent 
shot and shell hurtling among them, which rather upset the 
equanimity of the guide, Andrew Corsa, who took refuge 
behind rocks and trees. When he saw, however, that the com- 
manders continued the inspection as coolly and calmly as if no 
such cannonade was in progress, his courage returned. The 
conclusion arrived at by the generals was that the enemy was 
too strongly entrenched for successful attack ; while to encom- 
pass the British posts on Long Island, Staten Island, and New 
Jersey and reduce them would take a very much larger force 
than was at their command. The armies were, therefore, 
withdrawn to a position in rear of the former one, with the right 
at Dobbs Ferry and the French left at White Plains, while an 
advanced post was held at Philipse's under Colonel Scammel, 
another at Valentine's Hill, and a third at Eastchester. It was 
whispered that the Count de Grasse with a French fleet was to 
arrive off the capes of the Chesapeake; and the news from 
Lafayette, in regard to the movements of Cornwallis into York- 
town, indicated where the blow should fall. On August nine- 
teenth, the march for Yorktown began; and in order to deceive 
the enemy and to make him believe the army was still present 
in force, extensive camp-fires were kept burning for several 
nights on Vault Hill in the present Van Cortlandt Park. 

Notwithstanding the presence of the American army in 
force, De Lancey's command ventured as far from Kingsbridge 
as Yonkers on the fourth of August. On the twenty-sixth, 



172 The Story of The Bronx 

theymade another raid, and three of them were taken prisoners 
while driving off some thirty sheep, which were recovered. 
Washington, upon his departure for the South, left Heath in 
command and advised him to continue the petit guerre with 
Sheldon's dragoons, the New York militia, and other light 
troops, and to hold the marauders in check. On the nine- 
teenth of September, it was reported "that De Lancey's corps 
at Morrisania is afflicted with a mortal sickness, and are much 
reduced in numbers." 

Upon December twenty-third. Captain Williams of the 
New York levies, stationed on the Hnes, made an excursion to 
Morrisania with twenty-five volunteers, and was so successful 
as to return with one captain, one lieutenant, and seven pri- 
vates of De Lancey's command, and without losing a man. 
Captain Pritchard moved down with a detachment of Con- 
tinental troops to cover the retreat of the horse, but the enemy 
did not come out. 

On January ii, 1782, Captain Honeywell (also spelt Hunne- 
well and Hunnywell) of the First Westchester Militia, with a 
number of volimteer horse, made an excursion to Morrisania 
and brought off as prisoners Captain Totten and three privates 
of De Lancey's command. A party of the enemy's horse pur- 
sued the retiring Americans, but were checked by Major 
Trescott with his covering body of Continental troops, and 
no injury was sustained. The special object of the raid was 
to capture De Lancey, but he was again absent from his 
quarters. 

On the twenty-sixth of February, Abraham Dyckman, the 
Westchester guide, with thirteen volunteer horsemen, made 
another raid upon the Westchester Light Horse at Morrisania 
and took five prisoners and five horses. The pursuing party 
came too near, so the brave volunteers charged them, took one 



November, 1776, to September, 1783 173 

man with his horse prisoner, and put the rest to flight. The 
enemy collected again and followed the Americans for some 
time, but did not have the temerity to come again within 
striking distance. 

On March fourth, Captain Honeywell, with a party of 
volunteer horse, supported by some light infantry under Major 
Woodbridge, made a raid to Morrisania, probably from infor- 
mation obtained from two prisoners of De Lancey's force 
taken the preceding day. The horse proceeded down between 
Number Eight and the cantonments of the Westchester Light 
Horse, and, having turned the latter between daybreak and 
sunrise, entered pell-mell. The enemy were completely sur- 
prised and fled in every direction ; some were cut down, others 
were so badly wounded that they could not be removed as 
prisoners. Several escaped and ran to positions where the 
horse could not follow them and began to fire upon the attack- 
ing party ; this occasioned the firing of alarm guns by the fort. 
The horse then withdrew, having nearly accompHshed their 
object, the capture of De Lancey, and carrying with them as 
prisoners one subaltern, twenty privates, and the same number 
of horses. The retirement was by way of the Eastchester 
road, upon which Major Woodbridge had prepared an ambus- 
cade. The enemy qmckly gathered a party of horse and light 
infantry and started in pursuit, but fell into the ambuscade, 
which fired one or two volleys into them, when they broke and 
retired, but soon reformed and returned to the charge. The 
skirmishing continued for a considerable distance through 
Eastchester. The Americans lost two privates killed and three 
slightly wounded ; the guide, Lieutenant Dyckman, was also 
wounded mortally. The State of New York has honored his 
memory, as well as that of Lieutenant-Colonel Christopher 
Greene and Major Nathan Flagg of the Rhode Island Regi- 



174 The Story of The Bronx 

ment, by the erection of a handsome granite monument at 
Yorktown (the ancient Crompond), about seven miles east of 
Peekskill, 

On March fourteenth, Lieutenant Harris obtained intelH- 
gence of a party of De Lancey's men being at a house near the 
Mile Square; and with a party of six surprised the enemy, con- 
sisting of twelve men, and killed one and took four prisoners. 
On the nineteenth of May, the First Massachusetts Brigade 
was ordered down to Kingsbridge to take possession of the 
German huts and encamp there. On June twenty-seventh, 
there were several British war vessels anchored off the mouth of 
Spuyten Duyvil Creek. 

It will be noticed in most of the raids that the attacking 
force was usually composed of militia and that the supporting, 
or covering, party was composed of regulars. This was proba- 
bly in pursuance of a plan to inure the militia to danger and 
to give them confidence so that they would be rendered less 
unreliable. Their plundering proclivities were also given full 
play when they got inside the British cantonments. 

On September i6, 1782, the enemy made a grand forage near 
Valentine's Hill under the personal supervision of the Com- 
mander-in-chief, Sir Guy Carleton. He was attended by the 
young prince, William Henry, afterwards King William Fourth, 
and a large detachment of troops, stated to have been between 
five and six thousand, as a covering party. The enemy fore- 
stalled the Americans, who were sadly in want of forage them- 
selves, owing to the dryness of the season. On October 
twentieth, the British demolished their works at Number 
Eight. A few days later, the American army withdrew to 
cantonments in the Highlands. 

Both sides were awaiting the news of the signing of a defini- 
tive treaty of peace, and active operations ceased in the early 



November, 1776, to September, 1783 175 

part of 1783. The district so frequently raided by the light 
troops of both sides, thus deprived of all military control, or 
semblance of it, was given over to irresponsible bands of 
thieves and plunderers, who took from the few remaining 
inhabitants what little they had left. Until the civil authority 
of the State was once more established, the Borough was 
the scene of murder, robbery, and burnings, which were 
without any cloak of mihtary authority, except in so far as 
they were revengeful attacks upon the few hated loyalists who 
remained, or who had not fled to New York upon the with- 
drawal of the British outposts. Even as it was, these ma- 
rauders did not waste much time, if there was anything to be 
stolen, in asking or inquiring into the political opinions of their 
victims. 

On August 7, 1783, Sir Guy Carleton received orders from his 
government to evacuate the city of New York ; but the move- 
ment was delayed for several months owing to the great num- 
ber of loyalists who were in the city. Rigorous measures of 
punishment and confiscation had been enacted in all the States 
against these unhappy adherents of the crown, and as no 
assurances of protection could be given by the military authori- 
ties in view of the prospective resumption of power by the 
civil authorities, they nearly all desired expatriation rather 
than submit themselves to the doubtful mercies of their former 
neighbors and countrymen. It is to the credit of the British 
Government that it did not forsake these unfortunates entirely 
in their hour of need ; and especially is credit due to the kind- 
hearted Carleton, whom Heath considered as the ablest and 
best of all the British generals who served in America. Trans- 
portation to Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Upper Canada, and 
England was therefore furnished; but several months were 
consumed before the city was cleared of the loyalists and the 



176 The Story of The Bronx 

troops ready to depart. The day was finally set for the 
twenty-fifth of November. 

In view of the departure of the British troops, Governor 
George Clinton, on November fifteenth, issued a proclamation 
calling the civil officers of the State government to meet him in 
council at Eastchester, and steps were taken by both sides to 
prevent any disorderly demonstrations upon the occasion of 
the reoccupation of the city by the Americans. 

A few days before the twenty-fifth, the remaining American 
troops, little more then a grand guard of honor to General 
Washington and Governor Clinton, under command of General 
Knox, began their march from Dobbs Ferry over the Albany 
Road to Kingsbridge, crossing on the twenty-fourth and reoc- 
cupying the upper portion of Manhattan. On the following 
morning, the march was continued over the connecting roads 
and down the Bowery Lane; and, as the Americans entered 
the upper end of the city, the British departed from the Bat- 
tery, after seven years and two months of possession. 



CHAPTER IX 

FERRIES AND BRIDGES 

THE Borough of The Bronx is separated from the 
Boroughs of Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens by- 
Long Island Sound, the East River, the Harlem 
River, and Spuyten Duyvil Creek. The origin of the name 
of the "Sound," as it is distinctively known to all the in- 
habitants of the southeastern part of New York State, is 
apparent from the geographical definition of the term. The 
East River was so called from its lying east of the island 
of Manhattan. In the Keskeskeck deed of 1639, we read 
of "the Kil which runs behind the Island of Manhattan, 
mostly east and west." This kill, which was called by 
the Indians Muscoota, soon received a more distinctive 
name; for the Dutch settlers had already begun to occupy 
the fiats at the northern end of the island, and with char- 
acteristic Dutch patriotism, called their little settlement 
Nieuw Haarlem, after the town of Harlem in Holland. 
The kill thus became known as the Haarlem, or Harlem, 
River. It does not run "mostly east and west," but 
rather, north and south. It is not a true river; but with 
Spuyten Duyvil Creek it constitutes a strait connecting the 
Hudson with the Harlem, which latter is itself a strait con- 
necting the Sound with New York Bay. 
12 177 



178 The Story of The Bronx 

Spuyten Duyvil Creek appears on ancient maps and docu- 
ments as "Spouting Devil," "Spiking Devil," "Spikendevil," 
"Spitting Devil," and several other variants, as well as under 
its Indian name of Muscoota. The origin of the name is 
problematical. One reason given for it is that near the eastern 
entrance of the creek, the inflowing tides from the Hudson and 
Harlem rivers met and caused such a commotion in the water 
as to make it difficult and dangerous to pass; the waves, or 
tide rips, throwing the water into the air, or spouting. The 
second part of the name expresses plainly, but profanely, the 
feelings of those attempting to use the passage. Another the- 
ory given by Riker is that the Indians gave it the name of 
" Spouting Devil" in memory of the attack made upon them by 
the Half-Moon on her return down the river, when she spouted 
fire at them from her falcons. This would suppose on the part 
of the Indians a knowledge of English which they could not 
have had until nearly sixty years after the event. Still another 
theory ascribes the name to the spouting spring at the foot of 
Cock Hill, Manhattan; and Riker quotes from an old record 
of 1672, which calls it expressly, Spuyten Duyvil, alias the 
Fresh Spring. He also states that, in consequence, this 
section was known for many years as the Spring. John Adams, 
in his diary, calls it the Uncas River, possibly meaning Yonkers 
River, one of the names by which Tippett's Brook was some- 
times known. 

The most popular origin of the name is that given by 
Washington Irving, whose descriptions have such verisimili- 
tude that they have almost passed into authentic history. 
In describing the capture of New Amsterdam by the English, 
in 1664, Diedrich Knickerbocker says that when the British 
appeared ofif the city in September, 1664, Stuyvesant sent 
his trumpeter, Anthony Van Corlaer, to arouse the surround- 



Ferries and Bridges 179 

ing country to come to the assistance of his beloved city. 
When the trumpeter reached the creek separating Manhattan 
Island from the mainland, it was dark and stormy, and Van 
Corlaer could get no one to ferry him across. He fumed and 
spluttered for a while; then, realizing the importance of his 
errand, took a swig of his black bottle, and plunged into the 
stream, exclaiming at the same time in Dutch: "I will cross, 
en spijt den Duyvil (in spite of the Devil)." When the luck- 
less trumpeter was half-way across, he was seen to struggle 
violently as if battling with his Satanic majesty. At the same 
time an enormous moss-bunker — a fish very common in 
these waters — was seen to rise from the water and grab the 
struggling trumpeter; an instant later, and both disappeared 
beneath the waves forever. Such, in brief, is the origin of 
the name, according to Irving. 

The western boundary of the Borough is the lordly Hudson, 
called by all the inhabitants of this part of the State the 
river. No bridges or ferries connect the Borough with the 
opposite shore of New Jersey. 

There was, doubtless, some communication between the 
mainland and New Harlem in canoes and dug-outs, and 
the fertile woods of the former furnished a range for cattle. In 
October, 1667, Colonel Nicolls granted four lots near Spuyten 
Duyvil to the inhabitants of Harlem for that purpose. It 
was not until the mainland became more settled, and com- 
munication with the eastern colonies more desirable, that 
ferries were established or bridges built. 

As early as 1658, the director-general of New Netherland 
authorized the maintenance of a ferry with a suitable scow 
between Harlem and Brouncksland. Nothing was done, 
however, until 1666, when Governor Nicolls granted a 
charter to the Harlemites, in which, among other things, he 



i8o The Story of The Bronx 

allowed them "a ferry to and from the main which may- 
redound to their particular benefit," and to construct one or 
more suitable boats or scows for the transportation of men, 
horses, and cattle at reasonable charges. In January of the 
following year (1667), the authorities of Harlem, in carrying 
out the provisions of their charter, determined to establish 
a good ferry, and that a suitable ordinary, or tavern, should 
be built for the accommodation of those who used the ferry. 
Mayor Delaval promised to furnish the nails for the making 
of a scow, provided their value should be paid to him by the 
ferryman. 

Johannes Verveelen agreed to take the ferry and maintain 
the tavern for six years; and he was duly sworn to provide 
lodging, food, and drink to travellers, and to ferry them over 
the river at their convenience ; but no liquor was to be sold to 
Indians. The ferry and inn were located about three 
hundred feet west of the present First Avenue, at East 123d 
Street. The site on the Borough side is unknown, but it 
was probably within the limits of the yards of the New York, 
New Haven and Hartford Railroad. The filling in and ex- 
tension of water-front property have changed very materially 
ancient sites and locations ; places which were upon the shore 
in olden days are now very often several blocks inland. 

Verveelen did not always strictly observe the excise laws, 
and this brought him into conflict with the authorities; but 
his contention that he was a public benefactor and should, 
on account of expenses, be exempt from excise fees, seems to 
have prevailed; for on July 3, 1667, a new arrangement was 
made with him by which he was to maintain the tavern and 
ferry for five years without the payment of rent therefor. In 
addition, he received an acre of land on the Bronx side of the 
river, and a place to build a house, which should be bought 



Ferries and Bridges i8r 

from him at an appraised value in the event of the ferry being 
leased to another ferryman. The rates of ferriages were as 
follows: 

For every passenger, two pence silver or sixpence wampum ; 
for every ox or cow that shall be brought into the boat, eight 
pence or twenty-four stivers; cattle under one year old, six- 
pence, or eighteen stivers wampum ; all cattle that swam over 
paid half price. At the tavern the charges were: meals, eight 
pence; lodging, two pence; for keep of horse, four pence, or 
twelve stivers wampum, provided the grass be in fence. 
Government messages were to be carried free; and in consid- 
eration of his maintaining houses on both sides of the river, 
he was exempt from paying taxes on "what wine or beer he may 
retail in his house " for one year from the date of the agreement. 

The "wading place" has already been mentioned several 
times. It was a natural ford through Spuyten Duyvil Creek 
about where the bridge carries Broadway across the stream. 
In ancient days, there was a tidal stream from Tippett's 
Brook, about three quarters of a mile from its mouth, con- 
necting with the Harlem River about where the Kingsbridge 
station of the railroad is now located. This made, in con- 
nection with Tippett's Brook and Spuyten Duyvil Creek, an 
island, principally of low, marshy land with a rocky core, 
which was known as Paparinaman, or Paparinemo. This 
connecting creek has long since filled up by alluvial deposits; 
in fact, the whole stretch of land from the creek to the Van 
Cortlandt mansion, and between Tetard's Hill on the east 
and Tippett's Hill on the west, with the exception of the rocky 
bluff over which Church Street runs, is also of alluvial deposit. 
During the three years from 1901 to 1904, contractors were 
engaged in laying a great trunk sewer on the line of Broadway, 
and the deep excavations laid bare the several strata of this 



1 82 The Story of The Bronx 

deposit, the lowest being of rich, black vegetation in that 
condition of decay, or preservation, known as peat. The 
grasses of the ancient meadows were plainly perceptible, 
though they had been covered for centuries by the deposits 
of sand, clay, or gravel at the bottom of what must have been 
in earlier times a very considerable bay, within the boundaries 
just given. The whole is now a vast meadow, through which 
flows Tippett's Brook, rising and falling with the tide. 

Nature had placed in the middle of Spuyten Duyvil Creek 
a reef which was bare at low tide, and which had been from 
time immemorial a ford, or wading place, to and from the 
mainland. The new ferry at Harlem could not divert travel 
from this ford; and, as Verveelen lost his fees by its use, he 
was directed by the Harlem authorities to fence off the ap- 
proach to the ford. The fence he erected was torn down by 
travellers, who continued to use the ford so as to save tolls. 
John Barker, of Westchester, passed over it with a number of 
cattle, and Verveelen claimed that he had been defrauded of 
his ferriages, A suit brought by him in the Mayor's court at 
Harlem was decided in his favor, and Barker was obliged to 
pay the tolls; but Verveelen was directed to repair the fences 
with the money. Again and again the fences were torn down 
and travellers used the ford; until, finally, the Harlemites 
recognized the futility of attempting to divert traffic from 
this natural highway and proposed abandoning the Harlem 
ferry. Governor Lovelace, to whom Verveelen appealed, 
claiming that he would lose heavily by this abandonment, 
communicated with the Harlem authorities, February 27, 1669, 
and suggested the removal of the ferry to the more convenient 
"wading place." In this the authorities concurred on the 
second of March; and the same day, Verveelen was granted 
the ferry for three years by Governor Lovelace, to be main- 



Ferries and Bridges 183 

tained "at the place commonly called Spuyten Duyvel, between 
Manhattan Island and the new village called Fordham." 

In obedience to the orders of the governor, the approaches 
on both sides were fenced off so as to prevent the use of the 
ford. Verveelen received a grant of the island, or neck, called 
Paparinemo, where he was to erect a good house, furnished 
with three or four good beds for the entertainment of travellers, 
and to keep at all seasons a proper supply of food for them, 
their horses, and their cattle, as well as stabling. In addition, 
he was to have a "sufficient and able boat" for the transporta- 
tion of travellers and their horses and cattle; and to be in 
attendance himself, or by deputy, at all seasonable hours to 
transport the same across the ferry ; also to preserve and keep 
in order a fence furnished with a gate which should keep out 
all persons from the wading place without his permission. 

The ferry franchise and Paparinemo were granted to him, his 
heirs and assigns for eleven years from November i, 1669, with 
the right of preference in the letting of the ferry at the ex- 
piration of that period. The quit-rent was ten shillings yearly 
to the Duke of York. Persons on government business, and 
those summoned under arms in an emergency were to pass 
free, as weU as droves of horses and cattle the day before a 
fair, the day of it, and the day after it. All persons, under 
prescribed penalties, for the infliction of which Verveelen was 
made a constable, were to pay toll as follows: 

"For lodging any person, eight pence per night, in case they 
had a bed with sheets; and without sheets, two pence in silver; 

"For transportation of any person, one pence in silver; 

"For transportation of a man and horse, seven pence in 
silver; 

"For a single horse, six pence; 

"For a turn with his boat, for two horses, ten pence; and 



184 The Story of The Bronx 

for any more, four pence apiece; and if they be driven over, 
half as much; 

"For single cattle, as much as a horse; 

" For a boat-loading of cattle, as much as he hath for horses; 

"For droves of cattle to be driven over and opening ye 
gates, two pence per piece; 

"For feeding of cattle, three pence in silver; 

"For feeding a horse one day or night with hay or grass, 
six pence." 

The expression "to be driven over" refers to the use of the 
ford instead of the boat. It must be remembered that the 
distance across was greater then than it is now, as the sides 
of the creek have been filled in. If any reader has ever seen 
the tide race through the creek before the cutting of the ship 
canal, he can easily believe that the working of the boat from 
shore to shore was no easy task. 

The approach to the upper side of the ferry was over the 
meadow, or marsh, already described as the island of Paparin- 
emo, and Verveelen was obliged to stand one third of the 
expense of building a bridge or causeway to the village of 
Fordham. His neighbors, Betts, Tippett, and Hadden (or 
Haddy), whose purchases of land from Elias Doughty have 
already been noted, were more anxious to have a bridge over 
the Bronx River, so as to get to Eastchester, which was more 
convenient to their land. The interested parties, as well as 
the inhabitants of Fordham, were summoned to a hearing 
before the governor at the Fort; and after hearing all sides, 
he decided that the causeway, being the bigger undertaking, 
should be finished first, and then all hands should turn to and 
help Betts, Tippett, and Hadden to build the bridge to East- 
chester (probably the beginning of Williams's bridge), which 
should have a fence or gate on the eastern side to keep the 



Ferries and Bridges 185 

"Hoggs" from roaming across. The freedom of the ferry 
was granted to the three proprietors, and also to the inhabit- 
ants of Pordham for their assistance in building the "causey," 
as long as the ferry was run by Verveelen and his assigns. 
This causeway, in all likelihood, was on the same line as the 
street connecting Broadway with the Albany Post-road, of 
which it was a part, and which was named locally Macomb 
Street. The building of the causeway was an opportunity 
for John Archer to get into a row with his neighbors, Betts, 
Tippetts, Hadden, and Verveelen — a chance which, if we are 
to believe the records of him, he would not, and did not, let 
pass. Verveelen was ferryman for many years, and was 
succeeded by his son Daniel, who was ferryman until the 
building of the King's bridge, in 1693. 

There was estabHshed, in 1743, a ferry from the mouth of 
Westchester Creek to Powell's Point at Whitestone, Long 
Island. Ferris Avenue leads down from the Throgg's Neck 
road to "Old Ferry Point" on the eastern side of the creek. 
In 1755, a ferry was in operation between Ann Hook's Neck, 
or Rodman's Neck, and Hempstead Bay on Long Island, 
Samuel Rodman and John Wooley being the patentees. On 
an ancient map of Eastchester, there is marked a side road 
"leading to the Whitestone Ferry"; which establishes the 
fact of a ferry from some point on Eastchester Creek to the 
opposite side of the Sound. These ferries were probably 
maintained in a rude boat, a large dug-out, called a periauger, 
capable of carrying passengers, but not horses or cattle. The 
Harlem ferryboat was a large scow built for the purpose of 
carrying heavy animals and wagons, as we can see by the 
rates of toll. The East River, or Sound, was narrow at the 
points of passage, so that communication was easy; for 
animals and wagons, sloops were used. Long Island, in com- 



1 86 The Story of The Bronx 

parison with Westchester County, was thickly settled, so 
that a ready and easy means of communication was not only 
convenient but necessary. The Long Island settlements 
were nearer to the county than New York City; and a trip 
to the city by land was long and tedious, as the traveller had 
to go by way of Spuyten Duyvil Creek; while by water, the 
voyager had to encounter all the dangers and terrors of 
Hell Gate, a mighty bugbear in the early days before Fulton 
planned his "folly" and introduced steam navigation. 

As time passed, the travel between York Island and the 
mainland increased to such an extent that it was deemed ad- 
visable to substitute a bridge for the ferry. Accordingly, 
in 1680, the Governor's Council ordered a survey to be made 
at the "Spiting Devil" with that end in view, and a bill was 
introduced in the Provincial Assembly in 1690, authorizing 
its construction. In the following year. Governor Fletcher 
recommended it to the city authorities, but they were deterred 
from building it by "the great expense." In January, 1693, 
Frederick Philipse offered to bmld it at his own expense, pro- 
vided he were assured of reasonable tolls to cover his outlay 
and expense. His manor grant of June 12, 1693, reads in 
part: 

"And whereas our loving subject the said Frederick Philipse 
. . . prayed . . . that we would further grant unto our said 
loving subject a certain neck or island of land called Paparin- 
emo . . . with the salt meadows thereunto belonging, 
together with power and authority to erect a bridge over the 
water or river commonly called Spiten devil ferry or Papa- 
rinemo, and so receive toll from all passengers and droves of 
cattle that shall pass thereon, according to rates hereinafter 
mentioned . . . and that he is likewise willing at his own 
proper cost and charge to build a bridge at the ferry aforesaid 



Ferries and Bridges 187 

for the benefit and accommodation of travellers . . . Know 
ye, that of our special grace, certain knowledge, and mere 
motion we have given, granted, etc. . . . unto said Frederick 
Philipse . . . the aforesaid neck or island of land called 
Paparinemo, and the meadow thereunto belonging, with 
power, authority, and privilege to erect and build a dam bridge 
upon the aforesaid ferry at Spitendevil or Paparinemo and 
to receive rates and tolls of all passengers and for droves of 
cattle according to the rates hereafter mentioned (that is to 
say), three pence current money of New York for each man 
or horse that shall pass the said bridge in the day time, and 
three pence current money aforesaid for each head of neat 
cattle that shall pass the same, and twelve pence current 
money aforesaid for each score of hogs, calves, or sheep that 
shall pass the same, and nine pence current money aforesaid 
for every boat, vessel, or canoe that shall pass the said bridge 
and cause the same to be drawn up, and for each coach, cart, 
or sledge, or waggon that shall pass the same the sum of nine 
pence current money aforesaid [Here follow advanced rates 
for passage after sunset — ^Author.] . . . and it is our royal 
will and pleasure . . . the aforesaid bridge to be from hence- 
forth called Kingsbridge in the manor of Philipseborough 
aforesaid . . . reserving unto us, our heirs and successors, 
free egress and ingress of all and their forces, horse or foot, 
of our and their coaches, waggons, stores of war, ammunition, 
and expresses that shall from time to time pass the bridge 
for our or their service." 

The bridge was constructed the same year about where 
the present Broadway bridge crosses the creek. It was 
twenty-four feet wide, with a gate at one end to prevent the 
passage of travellers or cattle without the payment of "toles." 
It was also fitted with a draw to allow of the passage of boats. 
Upon petition of Frederick Philipse, Second (through his 
guardians), in 1713, the Assembly authorized the removal 
of the bridge to the present site, because at high tides the 



i88 The Story of The Bronx 

causeway leading to the bridge from the Manhattan side, 
and sometimes the bridge itself, were overflowed by the waters 
of the creek, thus rendering the passage over the bridge 
dangerous and often impossible. It remained in the pos- 
session of and under the control of the manor-lords until the 
sequestration of the manor by the State Assembly, in 1779, 
on account of the alleged treason and disloyalty of Colonel 
Frederick Philipse, the third and last lord of the manor. 
After the forfeiture of the manor, the bridge became free, as 
it virtually had been since 1759. 

Until the year 1900, a considerable detour was necessary 
to approach the bridge from either side of the creek. In 
order to remedy this, the city authorities constructed a modern 
steel bridge over the ancient "wading place," which cannot 
be many feet away from the site of the ferry and the bridge 
of 1 693. This bridge is officially known as the Spuyten Duyvil 
Creek bridge. It makes direct communication from the 
Kingsbridge Road, Manhattan, to Broadway, or the Albany 
Post-road, on the Borough side. The contract price for the 
bridge was $53,607, but the actual cost was in the neighbor- 
hood of seventy-five thousand dollars, including approaches. 
It was opened to the public. May 16, 1900. During the 
building of the elevated portion of the "Subway" in the year 
1904, it was found necessary to remove the bridge, as the 
piers were of insufficient size and strength to support the heavy 
superstructure of the railway tracks. The steel bridge of 
1900 has, therefore, been replaced by the present structure. 

Since the opening of the ship canal in 1895, there has been 
little or no traffic through the stream ; and the creek has been 
filled in from the mouth of Tippett's Brook to the abutments 
on the west side of the bridge with the materials removed 
from the excavation at the Grand Central Station. It is 



Ferries and Bridges 189 

also proposed to fill in the eastern side and make a ball field 
of it — if this is done, the creek will be a name only. With 
these changes going on, the author fears that the doom of the 
ancient bridge is sealed; and in a few years, its very site will 
be a matter of conjecture. This will be a great pity, as there 
is hardly any spot within the city of such historic interest. 
Over it passed Washington and his beaten army, in 1776; 
over it they passed again in 1783, this time with their faces 
southward ; and in colonial times it is constantly referred to 
as the main passage from New York City to the mainland. 
The author has suggested that the bridge be removed, abut- 
ments and all, to Van Cortlandt Park, and there erected over 
Tippett's Brook, or upon the land; in either case, it can be 
properly cared for. Where it once stood, there should be 
placed an appropriate monument with an historic legend, 
stating briefly the history of the bridge that once occupied 
the site. Unless something is done very soon, the whole 
bridge will have disappeared and it will be too late ; and there 
will be no excuse for the loss of this historic relic, as the city 
owns it and its site. 

Near the northern approach to the bridge, the manor-lord 
maintained a tavern for the accommodation of travellers. 
In his novel of Satanstoe, Cooper makes the hero, Corney 
Littlepage, and his friend, Dirck Pollock, stop at the tavern 
for meals on several occasions when they passed between 
Westchester and the city, about 1 755-1 760; Cooper calls the 
landlady, Mrs. Lighte. From the bridge, the whole section 
took the name of Kingsbridge from early times, a name which 
it retains to-day, and one which, it is hoped, it will long 
retain to keep alive the ancient associations of the locality. 

It can be readily believed that the King's bridge with its 
exaction of tolls was not a popular institution with those that 



190 The Story of The Bronx 

were obliged to use it; especially with the farmers of the 
neighborhood, who found the growing city a good market 
for their wood, vegetables, poultry, and other farm products, 
or with the belated traveller who was compelled to arouse the 
drowsy keeper of the toll-gate. The agitation against the 
bridge culminated in 1756. The French and Indian War was 
then in progress, and large bodies of British troops were con- 
stantly in the city of New York on their way to and from the 
scenes of war. Their commissariat had to be supplied, and 
grain and forage for the horses; and the Westchester farmers 
had a share of this profitable trade, as well as the farmers of 
Long Island and New Jersey. The tolls at the bridge became 
a heavy burden to them, and must have been a source of con- 
siderable revenue to Colonel Philipse. 

Benjamin Palmer of City Island headed the movement for 
the construction of a free bridge, and in 1756, a popular 
subscription was started. Enough having been subscribed, 
Palmer began the construction of his bridge at the site of the 
original bridge, removed in 17 13, as stated above. As the 
northern end of the bridge would thus have been on the island 
of Paparinemo, its owner. Colonel Philipse, naturally objected, 
and Palmer was obliged to seek a site farther down stream. 
This he found on the land of Thomas Vermilye on the Fordham 
side and of Jacob Dyckman on the Manhattan side, both of 
whom interested themselves with Palmer in building the 
bridge. Colonel Philipse, of course, resented this attempt 
to deprive him of his tolls, and twice caused Palmer to be 
impressed as a soldier for service in Canada; an action which 
put Palmer to considerable expense in furnishing a substitute 
on both occasions, besides delaying the completion of the 
bridge. The movement, however, was a popular one; and 
despite delays and opposition, the bridge was ready for use 



Ferries and Bridges 191 

at the end of 1758. On New Year's Day, 1759, hundreds of 
people from the surrounding country and from Manhattan 
Island attended a great barbecue to celebrate the opening of 
the "Free Bridge," which was accomplished amid great re- 
joicings. The toll bridge fell into disuse, the gatekeeper gave 
up his position, and Colonel Philipse had to advertise for a 
new lease; from this time forth, it was virtually a free bridge 
also. 

Dyckman erected a tavern on the Manhattan side of the 
bridge, but failed soon afterward, the tavern passing into 
the hands of the Hyatts, father and son, and becoming famous 
in Revolutionary annals, where it is frequently mentioned. 
Dyckman asked relief from the Legislature for the expense 
and disbursements he had been under in the construction of 
the bridge, but was not successful. Palmer, at the end of the 
century, also made unsuccessful appeals to the Legislature for 
his outlay. The press took up his cause and stated that he 
had struck the first blow for American freedom in this State, 
"for it was almost as difficult for Mr. Palmer to get a free 
bridge in those days as it was for America to get her freedom." 
Aaron Burr and others finally subscribed a purse of £30 to 
relieve the necessities of the old man. 

A road was built from the Westchester end of the bridge, 
connecting with the Albany and Boston post-roads. The 
bridge was equally known as "Dyckman's Bridge," the "Free 
Bridge," and the "Farmers' Bridge." It is known to-day 
in the vicinity as "Hadley's Bridge," probably from the fact 
that this portion of the ancient manor of Philipsburgh was 
bought from the Commissioners of Forfeiture in 1785 by 
George Hadley, and occupied by him. The site of the present 
Farmers' Bridge is identical with that of the original bridge 
which appears on one military map of the Revolution under 



192 The Story of The Bronx 

the name of the "Queen's Bridge"; though it was destroyed 
at the time of the British occupation and not rebuilt until 
after the war. In the summer of 191 1, the old bridge and 
its approaches were demolished, and an overhead steel struc- 
ture took their places. The tracks of the Putnam division 
of the Central road pass under the new structure, as well as 
the former tracks of the New York Central itself, which, as 
far as the Kingsbridge station, are used as freight sidings. 
The easterly end of the new bridge conforms with the grade 
of the Kingsbridge road on the Bronx side; on the Manhattan 
side, the former causeway is filled in and the grade of the new 
street, called Muscoota Street, conforms at its western end 
with the grade of Broadway. Some steps should be taken 
to mark the site and historic associations of the old bridge, 
which was the first attempt of the common people of the 
eighteenth century to overthrow, or combat, the privileges 
of the upper class — a first step toward democracy. 

After the removal of the ferry from Harlem in 1669, nothing 
seems to have been done in the way of providing a means of 
crossing the Harlem River near its eastern end until March 19, 
1774, when the Assembly passed "An Act to enable Lewis 
Morris and John Sickles to build a Bridge across Harlem 
River." The fact that the Revolution ensued so soon after- 
ward probably prevented the accomplishment of the work 
by the manor-lord of Morrisania and the inhabitant of Harlem 
who was to take care of his end of the bridge and its approaches. 
In a communication from Governor Nicolls in 1666, mention 
is made of "a passage which hath been made to ford over 
from this island to the maine." By "this island" is meant 
Verchers, or Hogg, Island, later Montressor's, now Randall's. 
The ford, or passage, was through the Bronx Kills. Verveelen's 
original ferry may have passed over or near this route. 



Ferries and Bridges 193 

In 1790, Lewis Morris obtained from the State Legislature 
a franchise to build a dam bridge from Harlem to Morrisania. 
This franchise he assigned to John B. Coles, who, in 1795, 
received from the Legislature an extension of the privileges 
already granted, which allowed him to build a stone dam 
across the river as a foundation for his bridge, which should 
hold back the waters of the Harlem and furnish power for 
mills to be established along its banks. The navigation of 
the stream was not to be interrupted, however, and a suitable 
opening, attended by a lock-keeper, was to be left for the 
passage of vessels. The bridge was to be constructed within 
four years, and Coles and his assigns were to collect the tolls 
for sixty years, provided they kept the bridge in repair; at 
the expiration of that period the bridge was to vest in the 
State. 

By the act of 1790, Lewis Morris was authorized to appoint 
three commissioners to act as a highway commission to lay 
out a road from the proposed bridge through Morrisania, 
West Farms, and Eastchester, and at the last named place 
to connect with the main road to Boston. Morris was to 
pay the commissioners, but the cost of the condemnation pro- 
ceedings and of the road was to be paid by the towns through 
which it was to pass. The highway commission of the city of 
New York was also authorized to lay out a road on Manhattan 
Island to the Harlem end of the bridge. The road through 
Westchester County was to be four rods wide, a width which, 
before the Revolution, would have given it the name of the 
"King's highway," that being the legal width of a post-road 
in England or the colonies. The route selected by the com- 
mission led from the bridge via the present Third Avenue to 
about East 163d Street, thence eastwardly down a hill across 

Mill Brook (Brook Avenue), and thence northerly through 
13 



194 The Story of The Bronx 

Boston Avenue, which it followed to West Farms, crossing 
the Bronx River at the "Bleach" below Bronxdale, and con- 
tinuing through Eastchester and Pelham till it joined at New 
Rochelle the ancient Boston Road, which came from Kings- 
bridge via Williamsbridge. 

Difficulties arose with the property owners whose land was 
taken for the road, as they were not promptly paid; notwith- 
standing which, the Legislature of 1797 declared the road a 
public highway and directed Coles to finish it at his own 
expense, at the same time authorizing him, for a period of 
thirty years, to increase the bridge tolls, not to exceed fifty 
per cent, of those already prescribed by previous statutes. 
This was to reimburse him for his additional outlay in com- 
pleting the road; but he was to keep it in repair during that 
time. In the following year, 1798, he was relieved of this 
last condition and his increase of bridge tolls cut down to a 
twenty-five per cent, advance. This was due to the fact that 
the State had partially paid for the construction of the road 
under the act of 1797, which empowered the State to aid in the 
improvement of public roads; the money was obtained by a 
public lottery. It was just about a century later that the 
wheelmen, the good roads associations, and drivers generally 
succeeded in getting the State once more to give aid to the 
counties and towns in constructing and grading the public 
highways; a law whose benefit is seen in the fine highways 
that are gradually but steadily appearing in all sections of 
the State under the guidance of competent engineers and road- 
builders, instead of that of the rural road-master. This im- 
provement in road-building has affected the Coles road; for 
in the fall of 191 1 work was begun to widen the more than 
century-old road and make it a State road. Work is progres- 
sing from Pelham Parkway northward as this is written. 



Ferries and Bridges 



195 



123^ 
123^ 

9 
9 
I 

6 
3 



cent 



cents 



The rates of toll as authorized by the Legislature for the 
use of the bridge were as follows: 
Every four-wheeled pleasure carriage and horses. 373^ cents 

" two- wheeled pleasure carriage and horses . 19 

" pleasure sleigh and horses . . .19 

" common wagon and horses 

" common sled. 
Ox cart and oxen . 
Every one-horse cart and horse 

" man and horse 

" ox, cow, or steer 

" dozen hogs, sheep, or calves, and so in pro- 
portion for a greater or less number 
For every foot passenger ..... 

State and United States troops, with their artillery, car- 
riages, and stores were to have free passage. 

The new road through Westchester County, and that built 
on the island of Manhattan to meet it diverted travel from 
the King's and Farmers' bridges at Spuyten Duyvil, as the 
course to and from Eastchester for eastern travel was much 
shorter and more direct by the new bridge and road. The 
bridge was so well patronized and was so financially successful 
that we find the owners petitioning the Legislature in 1808 
for incorporation as the Harlem Bridge Company, a petition 
that was granted. Before the expiration of the sixty yevss 
for which the franchise was given originally, Morrisania and 
Harlem had grown apace, and the bridge was inadequate for 
the amount of traffic that passed over it, and the lock too small 
for the accommodation of passing vessels. Still, strenuous 
efforts were made by the company for the renewal of its 
charter as 1858 approached. The Legislature took the matter 
in hand, and after reciting the fact that the bridge would 



196 The Story of The Bronx 

become free on April i, 1858, empowered the counties of New 
York and Westchester to provide for its maintenance or to 
build a new bridge. In June, i860, W. H. McAlpine was 
appointed engineer, and plans were devised for building a 
new bridge with an iron draw and stone piers at a cost of 
three hundred thousand dollars, while better facilities were 
planned for the convenience of passing vessels. 

This second Third Avenue, or Harlem, Bridge, as it was 
commonly called, was built of cast iron. The piers, instead of 
being of stone as originally planned, were iron cylinders which 
were sunk to their proper places and filled with ballast. The 
whole structure, especially the piers, was considered at that 
time a most remarkable piece of engineering, and as a great 
and ingenious advance in bridge-building. The wooden draw 
of the old Coles bridge was towed to City Island, where it 
did duty as the draw of the old wooden bridge there until 
its demolition in 1902. 

Many New Yorkers can remember how wholly inadequate 
this second Harlem Bridge became when the trolley lines 
began crossing it to their terminus at 128th Street and Third 
Avenue. To meet the new requirements, the city authorities, 
on July 14, 1886, contracted with a bridge-building firm of 
Wilmington, Delaware, for the construction of the present 
steel and iron structure, with its enormous draw of three 
hundred feet, at a cost of two million two hundred thousand 
dollars. The opening of the Harlem ship canal, and the in- 
crease in building in the Annexed District, due to the elevated 
railroad, necessitating an increase in docking facilities to 
handle building materials, were also potent factors in deter- 
mining the erection of the new bridge. 

Work was not begun, however, until November 14, 1893. 
The bridge was opened to the public on August i, 1898, and 




The First Harlem Bridge, N. Y., i860. 
From Valentine's Manual. 




The Second Harlem, or Third Avenue Bridge. Made of Cast-iron, i86o. 
Courtesy of the Department of Bridges, New York City. 




iii-^*pn 





The Present Third Avenue, or Harlem Bridge, Opened August i, i{ 
Courtesy of the Department of Bridges, New York City. 




Kingsbridge 
From an old print in the Collection of J. Clarence Davies, Esq. 



Ferries and Bridges 197 

accepted by the city on August 2 1 , 1899. The cost to the city 
of this third Harlem Bridge was ^2,794,000. While the bridge 
was in course of construction, passage across the river was 
secured by a temporary wooden structure whose inadequacy 
was the cause of ruined tempers, prolonged delays, and infinite 
profanity. 

When the forfeited manor of Philipseburgh was sold in 
1785, the Paparinemo tract went, in joint tenancy, to Joseph 
Cook, inn-keeper, and Daniel Birkins and Abraham Lent, Jr., 
of Dutchess County. It afterwards went through several 
hands till about 1798, when it came into possession of Alexander 
Macomb, a wealthy merchant of New York City. During 
the various ownerships, the inn was kept open, and accommo- 
dations were furnished for man and beast. Macomb continued 
his purchases for several years, until he owned from Van 
Cortlandt's to the creek, and from the Albany Post-road to 
Tippett's Brook, mostly salt meadow and comprising about 
one hundred acres.' In December, 1800, he received a water 
grant from the Mayor and Commonalty of the City of New 
York, at an annual rental of twelve and one half dollars, to 
the water in Spuyten Duyvil Creek at low-water mark, ex- 
tending from the bridge, one hundred feet on each shore to the 
westward of it ; with the proviso that a passageway fifteen feet 
wide should be left for small boats, a condition that seems to 
have been ignored by the lessee, though the city officials re- 
served the right to repossess in the event of its violation — 
the lessee probably had a "pull." Macomb erected a four- 
story grist-mill on the Borough side, extending over the edge 
of the creek, whose alternate ebb and flow turned the mill 

' It is interesting to know that he also purchased from the State three 
and a half millions of acres of land at 8d an acre. This tract included the 
Adirondacks, which, for many years, were knownas" Macomb's Mountains, 
after their owner. 



198 The Story of The Bronx 

wheel. In 1855, the mill was declared a public nuisance and 
danger, as it had long been untenanted. Steps were taken to 
repair it and convert it into a hotel ; but a heavy wind storm 
blew it down either in that year or the next (1856), and saved 
the authorities further trouble. Macomb's ventures proved 
to be unprofitable, and his property was sold under foreclosure 
in 1 8 ID and bought in by his son Robert. 

The experience at Kingsbridge had shown that sufficient 
power could not be obtained by the means employed; and so, 
in 1 8 13, upon petition to the Legislature, Robert Macomb 
was granted permission to erect a dam across the Harlem 
River from Bussing's Point, Manhattan, to Devoe's Point 
in Westchester, thus making of the Harlem River and Spuyten 
Duyvil Creek a large mill-pond to furnish power for milling 
purposes. A causeway and bridge were erected at great 
expense; they were known until about i860 as Macomb's 
Dam. The gates of the dam admitted the inflow of the flood 
tide from the East River, but were closed to prevent its outflow 
on the ebb ; a raceway on the Westchester side conducted the 
water to the mill wheels by emptying it into Spuyten Duyvil 
Creek at low tide, whose inflow on the flood tide was checked 
by the dam at Kingsbridge. 

This scheme worked no more successfully than the preced- 
ing one; and Robert Macomb, becoming involved financially, 
was sold out by the sheriff, and the property passed into other 
hands and the franchises with it. In 1828, the owners were 
the New York Hydraulic and Bridge Company, who put forth 
an elaborate plan for mill sites and a manufacturing village, 
based upon a report made by three of the leading engineers 
of the country. This plan proposed to dam Tippett's Brook 
and flood the greater part of the Paparinemo meadows, the 
water being allowed to run into Spuyten Duyvil Creek at 




The Macomb's Dam, Harlem River, 1850. 

From Valentine's Manual, i860. 




Second Macomb's Dam Bridge, 1861. 

Courtesy of the Department of Bridges, New York City. 




The Present, or Third, Macomb's Dam Bridge, also Called Central Bridge. 
Courtesy of the Department of Bridges, New York City. 




High Bridge. 



Ferries and Bridges 199 

low tide through raceways which would lead to the various 
mills. "Fourteen mill sites," said the prospectus, "each fifty 
by one hundred feet, were mapped out along the raceways, 
and at least two hundred and thirty-four horse power were 
assured to them." But this plan was no more successful than 
the previous ones. 

In the grant made to Robert Macomb, in 1813, it was 
stipulated that he was to have a lock, apron, or other opening 
in his dam to permit of the passage of small craft or boats, and 
to have a lock-keeper in attendance to open the lock and assist 
the boats through. He also received from the city the tri- 
angular piece of land between Seventh Avenue and the ap- 
proach to Central Bridge, now a small, public park; on the 
Borough side, he also received valuable concessions. The 
annual quit-rent to be paid to the city was the same as for 
the Kingsbridge grant, twelve and one half dollars yearly. 
The line of Jerome Avenue near the river is due to the road 
laid out by the bridge owners as an approach to the northerly 
end of their bridge. 

The collection of tolls upon the bridge was unauthorized by 
any act of the Legislature or of the city government ; and this, 
with the obstruction to the navigation of the river due to the 
failure to keep a sufficient passageway through the dam, 
aroused the ire of the inhabitants of Kingsbridge, Morrisanie, 
Fordham, and Westchester, as well as those of the Manhattan 
side of the river. The leading citizens, after several years of 
that quiet and patient submission to impositions so distinc- 
tively one of our American traits, determined that at least the 
construction of the dam should be changed so as to allow a 
free and unobstructed navigation of the river. Meetings were 
held, legal advisers engaged, and money subscribed. 

The agitation came to a head in 1838; and Lewis G. Morris, 



200 The Story of The Bronx 

then a young man, was chosen as the leader of the enterprise. 
The intention was to bring the matter into the United States 
courts and to show that neither the State nor the city had any 
power to grant the privileges secured by Macomb and his 
successors in the obstruction of a navigable stream, a power 
vested in the United States alone; and there was sufficient 
evidence to prove that the Harlem River had been a navigable 
stream from time immemorial. 

In furtherance of the plan, Morris Dock was built about a 
mile above the site of the present High Bridge, and a periauger, 
named the Nonpareil, was chartered to take a cargo of coal for 
delivery at the dock. On the evening of September fourteenth, 
Mr. Morris arrived with his cargo of coal at the dam at full 
tide and demanded a passage up stream. The bridge- 
keeper could not comply with the demand to open the lock, 
as none was provided. A party of nearly a hundred men 
accompanied the periauger on flatboats; and upon the refusal 
of the bridge-tender to let the boat pass, they forcibly removed 
a sufficient length of the dam to allow the Nonpareil to float 
across. From that time forth a draw was always kept in the 
bridge and an opening in the dam ; but the latter was so insuf- 
ficient that the tides swept through with such fearful rapidity 
as to make it impossible for boats to pass through except at 
slack water. 

The owners of the bridge and dam at this time were the 
Renwicks, and they at first attempted to have Morris indicted 
as a disturber of the public peace ; but the recorder and district 
attorney both said that Morris had a right to demand passage 
for his vessel, and refused to allow the grand jury to consider 
the matter. Suit for damages was then brought against 
Morris in the Superior Court, but the judge charged the jury 
that the dam as constructed was a public nuisance, and that 



Ferries and Bridges 201 

any one had a right to abate it. An appeal to the Supreme 
Court was decided likewise, and, finally, the Court of Errors, 
on an appeal to them, affirmed the decisions of the lower courts. 
Chancellor Walworth, who wrote the opinion, said, among 
other things: 

"The Harlem River is an arm of the sea and a public 
navigable river; it was a public nuisance to obstruct the 
navigation thereof without authority of law. The act of 
the Legislature did not authorize the obstruction of the navi- 
gation of the river in the manner in which it was done by the 
dam in question." 

The Renwicks were obHged to be satisfied with this decision 
of the highest court of the State and did not carry the matter 
to the Federal courts. 

April 16, 1858, the Legislature directed the city of New York 
and the county of Westchester to erect and maintain a free 
bridge across the Harlem River from a point near the end of 
Eighth Avenue, Manhattan, to a point at or near the terminus 
of the Macomb's Dam road in the county of Westchester. 
The commission appointed to carry out the provisions of 
the above act were also directed to remove the dam and ob- 
structions in the river, and to make it navigable to its natural 
capacity. They paid to the Campbell estate, then the owner 
of the dam and bridge, the sum of $18,000 for all property 
and rights, including the approaches to the bridge on both 
sides of the river, and the privilege of using the waters of the 
Harlem. In 1861, the wooden bridge was completed and 
thrown open to the public. The expense to the city and 
county, though in the original bill limited to ten thousand 
dollars each, finally amounted to over ninety thousand dollars. ^ 

' How strange it is that public work can never be done for the estimated 
cost, or for the contract price, or within the prescribed time! It is not 



202 The Story of The Bronx 

In the course of a quarter of a century, this second bridge 
outHved its usefulness, and steps were taken to replace it. 
The present magnificent structure is the result, at a cost of 
$1,360,000. It was opened to the public in 1896. It occupies 
the sites of the two former bridges and has been a favorite 
route with wheelmen and drivers seeking the country above 
the Harlem, and automobiles are now taking their turn in 
using the bridge. The Speedway has diverted the drivers of 
horses from the bridge, and the traffic of trolley cars upon the 
bridge, which was clear of them until October i, 1904, has 
made its passage more hazardous. The present name of Cen- 
tral Bridge, which is its official title, will, no doubt, soon 
drive that of "Macomb's Dam Bridge" into the legendary 
past. 

The obstruction to the navigation of the Harlem River 
had come to be considered as a matter of course, with the 
precedents of the Coles and Macomb dams and bridges, so 
that when the various plans were advanced at different times, 
for supplying the city of New York with water, the engineers 
ignored the free and open passage of that stream. The 
earliest of these plans proposed taking the water from the 
Bronx River by damming it near Williamsbridge and conduct- 
ing the water by a cast-iron cylinder two feet in diameter 
under the Harlem River, but lying on its bed. Later, 1834- 
35, when the Croton River had been selected as the source of 
the city's water supply, it was proposed to siphon the water 
across the Harlem on a low bridge without regard to its navi- 
gation. One plan in connection with the supply from the 
Bronx River proposed using the tidal power of the Harlem 

so with private work. If the employees of a private individual were as lax 
in looking after his interests as public officials are in looking after those 
of the community, they would not hold their positions a day. 



Ferries and Bridges 203 

by locating a pumping station above Macomb's dam in order 
to give the water a sufficient head to carry it into the homes 
of the city. 

But the action of Lewis G. Morris and his associates with 
regard to Macomb's dam, as described above, put an entirely 
new idea of the navigable character of the river, not only into 
the heads of the engineers and the authorities, but into those 
of the general public as well. The decision of the highest 
court in the State put a legal barrier to the stream's obstruction 
that no one could surmount. Accordingly, when the Croton 
aqueduct was under way, the Legislature, on May 3, 1839, 
enacted that: "The water commissioners shall construct an 
aqueduct over the Harlem River with arches and piers; 
the arches in the channel of said river shall be at least eighty 
feet span, and not less than one hundred feet from the usual 
high-water mark of the river to the under side of the arches of 
the crown; or they can carry the water across the river by a 
tunnel under the channel of the river, the top of which shall 
not be above the present bed of the said river." 

This at once changed the idea of a low siphon bridge, 
"built over an embankment of stone, filling up the whole of 
the natural channel, and with only one archway on the New 
York side eighty feet high," to the plan of a high bridge, 
crossing the stream; as the engineers and commissioners 
preferred the bridge to the other alternative presented by the 
Legislature, that of the tunnel. The bridge was contracted 
for the following August, and was sufficiently completed in 
time for the admission of the Croton water into the cit}^ on 
July 27, 1842, though not completed in accordance with the 
original plan until 1848. 

High Bridge is 1450 feet long and twenty-five feet wide, 
connecting West 175th Street and Tenth Avenue, Manhattan, 



204 The Story of The Bronx 

with Aqueduct Avenue near East 170th Street in the Borough. 
The top of the bridge forms a way for foot passengers, but no 
provision has ever been made for vehicular traffic. The bridge 
crosses the Harlem on fifteen semicirciilar arches, eight of 
which in the river are, in accordance with the law, eighty- 
feet span — the remaining seven are fifty feet span. The 
water was originally carried across in two cast-iron pipes, each 
three feet in diameter ; but these were found to be inadequate, 
so between i860 and 1864, the side walls of the bridge were 
raised and a wrought-iron pipe, seven feet, six inches in di- 
ameter, was laid over the other two, all three being incased in 
brick masonry. The total cost to the city was $963,428. 
When the present aqueduct was built, the engineers preferred 
the alternative plan of 1839, and so carried the water through a 
tunnel just north of High Bridge and well under the bed of 
the river. The same plan is to be followed with the aqueduct 
now building, which is to bring water from the Catskills. 

The first of the really modem passenger bridges to be con- 
structed was that at Madison Avenue, connecting that high- 
way of Manhattan with East 138th Street in the Borough. 
The first bridge was completed and opened to the public in 
1884, at a cost of $404,000. In its construction, a new plan 
was employed of elevating it well above the river, so that it 
was not necessary to open the draw for every passing vessel; 
and this plan has been carried out with all the later bridges, 
which allow a still greater clearance above water. The 
tugs plying upon the river are fitted with short smoke pipes ; 
in consequence, traffic is not delayed and blocked so frequently, 
as it is necessary to open the draws only for masted vessels. 
In addition, the draws are opened only between nine o'clock 
in the morning and five o'clock in the afternoon, in order to 
prevent delay to the thousands of passengers, on their way 






>H 




^ 




(U 




2 


a3 


w" 


M 


bo 


.'2 


12 


'd 




W 


m 


a 


o 


o 


0) 


_G 


g 


IS 


4-i 
1-. 


w 


03 


ni 


a 



Ferries and Bridges 205 

to and from their day's work, in the trains over the Park 
Avenue railroad and other bridges. 

Before the bridge was twenty years old, it was found to be 
entirely inadequate for the trolley and vehicular traffic which 
used it, the trolley cars of the Madison Avenue line having 
begun to use it in 1899, replacing the horse cars which had 
used the bridge since 1886. Then came the cars of the Union 
Railway Company; and as the roadway was only twenty-one 
feet four inches wide, there were great congestion and delay. 
Plans for a new bridge were made in 1906, and the contract 
was signed on October 8, 1907, the price being $1,155,987. 
A temporary pier was built in the river and the bridge was 
raised on scows at high water and floated to the new location 
where it was lowered into place with the fall of the tide. Work 
was then begun upon the new bridge and its approaches, 
which were completed and opened with speeches and salutes 
on July 18, 1910. 

The next bridge to be constructed was the Washington 
Bridge, which may be considered the glory of the Harlem 
River. It connects West i8ist Street, Manhattan, with 
Aqueduct Avenue near East 1 7 1 st Street in the Borough. The 
bridge was authorized by the Legislature of 1885, and work 
was begun the following year. The original engineer was 
W. H. McAlpine, who had supervised the building of the Third 
Avenue Bridge in the sixties. In August, 1886, William R. 
Hutton became engineer and remained in charge until the 
completion of the bridge in February, 1889. Though com- 
pleted at that time, the ends of the bridge were barricaded 
until December of the same year, when the public took matters 
into their own hands, tore down the barricades, and began 
using the bridge. Consequently, there was no formal opening 
of the structure; in fact, for a long time after it was used, 



2o6 The Story of The Bronx 

signs were displayed, notifying all persons who used the bridge 
that they did so at their own risk, and that the city would not 
be liable for damages for any accident that might occur. 

The bridge is of steel and masonry and is 2375 feet long. 
Its termini are on the heights commanding the river, that 
on the Borough side being on the Fordham ridge. It crosses 
the river in two mighty steel arches, each 510 feet long, the 
crowns being I33/^ feet above mean high water, so that they 
are about eighteen feet above the arches of High Bridge. 
The width is eighty feet, distributed in two foot-pathways 
and a fine asphalted roadway, upon which no cars were run 
until May 31, 1906. When wheeling was popular, it was a 
favorite ride for wheelmen, and thousands passed over the 
bridge daily. The view from the top is magnificent, taking 
in, as it does, almost the whole length of the river, both north 
and south ; the bridge itself being placed at the most beautiful 
and picturesque part of the stream. The entire cost of the 
bridge to the city was ^2,851,684.55. 

The Willis Avenue Bridge connects East 125th Street at 
First Avenue, Manhattan, with East 134th Street and Willis 
Avenue, The Bronx. The contract price was ^1,373,000 for 
the bridge, not including approaches. Work was begun 
December 4, 1897, and the bridge was opened to the public 
on August 22, 1901. This is the most easterly of all the 
bridges crossing the Harlem River. 

Work on the Lenox Avenue Bridge, connecting West 145th 
Street and Lenox Avenue, Manhattan, and East 149th Street, 
Bronx, was begun in 1898, and the bridge was completed and 
thrown open to the public on August 24, 1905. The contract 
price for the bridge alone was ^1,002,000. 

The last of the city bridges to be constructed is the one 
crossing the Harlem from West 207th Street and Tenth Avenue, 



Ferries and Bridges 207 

Manhattan, to the low ground at the junction of Sedgwick 
Avenue and Fordham Road. Prehminary surveys were made 
as early as 1902, plans were drawn by the Department of 
Bridges, and the contracts were let for the superstructure 
April 27, 1905. The bridge cost ^821,000, and was opened to 
the public on January 8, 1908. It is called the University 
Heights Bridge. 

This bridge is almost on the site of a foot-bridge erected 
about 1850, connecting Dyckman's meadows and Fordham 
Landing. This was built on piles driven into the bed of the 
river, which was not more than nine feet deep at this point. 
It was a public bridge, fitted with a draw to allow of the 
passage of boats, of which the Harlem River steamboats Tiger 
Lily, Trumpeter, and Osseo became the most frequent passers- 
by after the line was established about 1855, for the purpose 
of keeping open the navigation of the river, as well as for the 
conveyance of passengers and freight. Their landing-place 
was at an ancient stone house, called the "Century House," 
a few rods above on the Manhattan side — this was the old 
Jan Nagel house of colonial days. In later days, the foot- 
bridge gave access to the railroad station at Fordham Landing. 
The deepening of the channel of the river and the opening of 
the ship canal caused the removal of the old bridge, though a 
few of the piles which supported it, were standing on the Man- 
hattan side less than ten years ago. 

The other bridges spanning the Harlem River and connect- 
ing the boroughs of Manhattan and The Bronx are private 
property belonging to the railroads. They are the Second 
Avenue, or Suburban Rapid Transit, bridge; the Harlem, or 
New York Central, Railroad bridge at Park Avenue; the 
Putnam Railroad bridge at Eighth Avenue; and the New 
York Central Railroad bridge at the mouth of Spuyten Duyvil 



2o8 The Story of The Bronx 

Creek at its junction with the Hudson River. Upon the 
Second Avenue and the Putnam bridges are free public foot- 
ways, but no roadways for vehicles. 

For several years, the only public ferry connecting the 
Borough with any of the other boroughs was the one running 
from Port Morris, at East 138th Street, to North Beach and 
College Point in the borough of Queens. This was formerly 
known as Bowery Bay Beach, and it is a great place of resort 
for people who like the entertainments that are provided in a 
place of the kind. The ferry was established in September, 
1903, A ferry, known as the Twin City Ferry, was established 
between Clason's Point and College Point, in April, 19 12. 



CHAPTER X 

EARLY MEANS OF COMMUNICATION 

SLOOPS, periaugers, batteaux, and canoes constituted 
the vehicles of communication in the early days. As 
in all new countries, water was the natural highway ; 
and the waters of the Sound, the Hudson, and the Harlem, all 
adjacent to the shores of the Borough, gave easy and con- 
venient access to Manhattan Island and to the settlers near the 
shores. Westchester Creek was navigable for sloops, and when 
Captain de Connick and Fiscal Van Tienhoven went to eject 
the English settlers at Oostdorp, they ascended the river and 
creek in vessels of that class. The Bronx and the Hutchinson 
rivers were both navigable for several miles in batteaux 
and canoes, the former to West Farms and the latter to East- 
chester. In recent years, the Federal Government has deep- 
ened the channel of the latter so that heavily laden coal 
vessels and small steamers are able to ascend at high tide as 
far as the City Dock at Mount Vernon, contiguous to old 
St. Paul's Church, and just over the boundary line of the 
Borough. 

From time immemorial, and even up to the present gener- 
ation, a regular sloop trade was carried on from Westchester 
borough-town to New York City. In the advertisement of 
the Reverend Samuel Seabury, mentioned in another chapter, 

there is a paragraph which says: "Westchester is about 
14 209 



210 The Story of The Bronx 

nineteen miles from New York, by Land, and about fifteen 
by Water; and a Water-passage may be had almost every 
Day, when the Weather will permit, in good safe Boats." 
There was a regular sloop trade also to Eastchester, even 
during the Revolution; and it was by first capturing the market 
sloop engaged in this trade with New York that the Darien 
whale-boatmen were able to effect the capture of the Schuldam, 
the British guard-ship. 

The building of these vessels began very early. Shonnard, 
in his History of Westchester County, on the authority of the 
Reverend Theodore A. Leggett, a descendant of one of the 
patentees of the West Farms, states that John Leggett, a 
ship-builder, executed, November 30, 1676, a bill of sale as 
follows : 

"John Leggett of Westchester, within the Province of 
N. Y., ship-wright, to Jacob Leysler of N. Y. City, merchant, 
a good Puick, or ship, 'Susannah' of New York now laying 
[sic] in this harbour, and by the said Leggett built in Bronck's 
river near Westchester, together with masts. Lay boat, and 
other materials." 

The ship-building industry, thus begun in 1676, or earlier, 
has continued to the present day; but it is now princi- 
pally carried on in the ancient manor of Pelham at City 
Island, where yachts and pleasure craft are built, repaired, 
and laid up out of season. 

There was also boat communication by way of the Harlem 
River and Spuyten Duyvil Creek; for in November, 1776, 
Lord Cornwallis carried his troops in a flotilla of boats through 
the river and creek to the Hudson for the attack on Fort 
Washington from the Hudson River side. That these streams 
had always been navigable was one of the principal arguments 



Early Means of Communication 211 

used by Lewis G. Morris and his supporters in their opposition 
to Macomb's dam. 

In their communications inland, the settlers at first used 
the old Indian trails. The principal village and fort of the 
Siwanoys was on a hill to the south of the present Unionport, 
overlooking Westchester Creek. From the strong stockade, 
palisaded in the Indian fashion, the hill came to be known as 
"Castle Hill," a name by which it is known to-day. A village 
of the Manhattans was located at Spuyten Duyvil Neck, and 
another at Nepperhaem, the present Yonkers; while above 
the latter were the villages of the Weckquaesgeeks, all members 
of the Mohican tribe. In their communications with each 
other and with their neighbors on Manhattan Island by way 
of the "wading place," there was formed in time a plainly 
marked trail extending from Paparinemo to Castle Hill, 
called in Doughty's patent to Archer the "Westchester Path." 
From Westchester another plainly marked trail led by way of 
Eastchester across Hutchinson's River and contiguous to the 
Sound, through the Rye woods to "the great stone at the 
wading place" at the Byram River, the eastern boundary of 
the colony and of the State. It extended still farther into 
Connecticut, also occupied by the Siwanoys, as far as the 
villages of the Pequots, a kindred tribe of Mohicans. It was 
by this path that many of the Connecticut settlers found their 
way into the Dutch colony of New Netherland and gave 
Stuyvesant so much trouble. This was pre-eminently the 
"Westchester Path." 

It was natural that the earliest whites should follow these 
long established and plainly marked trails. As time passed, 
these trails became wider as the travellers cut down the trees 
for the convenient passage of their horses or wagons. We 
find, therefore, in these trails the beginnings of the roads 



212 The Story of The Bronx 

which later developed into some of the principal highways 
of the county, with such changes in grade and direction as 
the necessities of wagon roads required — the Albany and the 
Boston post-roads, and the Kingsbridge Road leading through 
Fordham, as well as Eastchester Avenue connecting the 
parishes of St. Peter's and St. Paul's. 

The Albany Post-road was opened to the Sawkill, or Saw- 
mill River, in Yonkers, as early as 1669. The traveller, having 
arrived at the end of Manhattan Island over the old Kings- 
bridge Road from Harlem, would cross Spuyten Duyvil 
Creek by the ford, the ferry, or the bridge and thus land on 
the island of Paparinemo. Passage up the west side of the 
marsh was impossible, and in ancient days the task of filling 
it in for a roadway would have been too costly to have been 
undertaken. The traveller, therefore, turned to his right 
through the marsh or, later, over the causeway built by Archer, 
Verveelen, Betts, Tippett, Hadden, and the inhabitants of 
Fordham, and found himself in that village. Here he would 
turn to the left along the base of Tetard's Hill, and so north 
on the higher and dryer ground on the eastern side of the 
marsh. The road crossed Tippett's Brook about a mile 
from the bridge, near the Van Cortlandt station of the Putnam 
Railroad, and then swung westward in front of and below the 
Van Cortlandt mansion to the western side of the valley, up 
which it passed to Yonkers. After passing through the lands 
of John Hadden, it came within the manor of Philipseburgh, 
and the manor-lord thus became responsible for its mainte- 
nance. In fact, as the road led to his toll bridge, he probably 
maintained the lower part of it as well. The ancient road, 
or the greater part of it, still remains and is known to the 
residents of this section as the old Albany Post-road. It 
could not have been more than a trail at first; but later the 




^'"~ u 9 /\ '"y 



ESc^ 


— 


^t^ 


TC^ 


■^r^^— _ 






. 


'■'?Si 


' 


""""'■ 


'" "■"' 


M 


'"'^" 


'='" 



Jioo 



P,^o 






n H 



Early Means of Communication 213 

postman travelled on horseback and travellers accompanied 
him on the way; a woman passenger sometimes rode on a 
pillion behind the postman. It was not until after the Revo- 
lution, in 1785, that stages began running over the post-road 
to Albany. It was not until about 1808 that the present 
Broadway was filled in on the western side of the marsh. This 
was done by the Highland Turnpike Company, who hung 
gates and charged toll. The causeway called Depot Street, 
connecting Broadway with the railroad station at Kingsbridge, 
was constructed about 1855 by the late Joseph Godwin, Esq., 
as a short cut to the road leading to Highbridge, Morrisania, 
West Farms, and Westchester. 

If the traveller had turned to his right through the village 
of Fordham at the foot of Tetard's Hill, he would have passed 
over the ancient Westchester Path up over the hill (Highbridge 
Road) into the present Kingsbridge Road. His course would 
have been then relatively past the Dutch church at Fordham, 
the southern end of Jerome Park reservoir, Poe Park, across 
the tracks of the Harlem Railroad at the station opposite St. 
John's College, Fordham (though the ancient road used to 
go through the College grounds), over Pelham Avenue to 
Bronxdale, whence he could continue over the Bear Swamp 
Road to Westchester, or turn to his right over the Unionport 
Road to Castle Hill. The improvements in this section within 
recent years have obliterated most of the old roads, so that 
only the general direction can be given by present thorough- 
fares. The Highbridge and Kingsbridge roads are ancient 
highways; east of the Bronx River, the rural conditions still 
prevail to some extent; but the progress of development is 
so rapid that in a few years they will have departed also, 
especially since the completion of the subway has rendered 
these rural communities more accessible. The Bear Swamp 



214 The Story of The Bronx 

Road still exists and leads to Westchester. Its name was 
derived from a swamp to the east of Bronxdale, where the 
Siwanoys had an important village near the site of Morris 
Park race-track. 

Another road starting from a point on Tetard's Hill beyond 
the one just described led to De Lancey's Mills at West Farms. 
This road has long been closed. It branched off from the 
Westchester and Kingsbridge road near the present Fordham 
railroad station, and continued in a southerly direction till 
it met the line of East i82d Street, over which it passed ap- 
proximately to the bridge at East i8ist Street, below the lower 
dam in Bronx Park at West Farms, where it was known, and 
still is to the older inhabitants, as the "Kingsbridge Road." 
Its continuation connected the mills with the borough-town 
of Westchester. The portion of the road lying within the 
park east of the bridge has been macadamized; but between 
Morris Park Avenue and the bridge over the tracks of the 
Suburban branch of the New York, New Haven, and Hartford 
Railroad, there still remains enough of the ancient highway 
to convince us that preceding generations might have travelled 
in style, but they did not do so in comfort. 

The principal road that the traveller could take after cross- 
ing the causeway to the village of Fordham was the Boston 
Road, which dates from 1673. This swung in a curve around 
the base of Tetard's Hill and up to its top, paralleling the 
Albany Road for about a third of a mile, then turning sharply 
to the eastward toward Williamsbridge. Here it crossed 
the Bronx River and turned north as far as the head of 
Rattlesnake Brook, when it again turned sharp east to East- 
chester. Here the Hutchinson River was crossed, and the 
road continued through Pelham Manor to New Rochelle. A 
few miles of the old road still remain and can be traced. The 



Early Means of Communication 215 

first portion is that leading up to Sedgwick Avenue, where 
Jerome Park and, later, the reservoir have obliterated a section 
of it. From Jerome Avenue to the Williamsbridge reservoir, 
the part remaining is called Van Cortlandt Avenue, and from 
the reservoir to the bridge over the Bronx River and to the 
White Plains road, the section is called improperly, the Gun 
Hill Road. The White Plains and the Boston roads are the 
same thing from Williamsbridge northward to where the latter 
turns off toward Eastchester. This last portion of the road is 
called Bussing Avenue, which begins at East 231st Street, one 
block east of White Plains Avenue, and continues on to the 
city line. As soon as it enters the city of Mt. Vernon, its name 
becomes what it has been for over two centuries, the Kings- 
bridge Road. With all due respect to the Bussings, who were 
extensive landowners in this vicinity, the ancient road should 
not have been called anything else than the Kingsbridge, 
or Boston, road. In fact, a few of the old signs bearing both 
titles are still to be found along the Bussing Avenue part of the 
roadway; and, in the opinion bf the writer, it is not too late to 
restore the old names and thus preserve an ancient landmark. 
At Eastchester, the ancient road is connected with Coles's 
Boston Road by a short street called Fisher's Lane; but the 
two roads do not become one until near New Rochelle. The 
laying out of the Coles road diverted travel from the way of 
Spuyten Duyvil Creek, as the distance was considerably 
shortened by way of the new road and the Harlem Bridge. 

If the traveller in going over the Albany Post-road had 
turned to the eastward at the bridge over Tippett's Brook near 
Van Cortlandt station, he would have continued on a road lead- 
ing to the Mile Square, as the purchase of French and others 
from Doughty was called. This road was parallel to Van 
Cortlandt Lake for over a mile before it turned to the east- 



2i6 The Story of The Bronx 

ward and then northeast to the Mile Square. To-day, it is 
the road that bounds the seventh to the eighteenth holes of 
the golf course at Van Cortlandt Park. It probably had its 
origin in the travel of the farmers of the Mile Square to the 
mill at Van Cortlandt's to have their grain ground. The road 
can still be followed up the steep hill in Van Cortlandt Park, 
then it turns east into East 233d Street, the northern boundary 
of Woodlawn Cemetery. Beyond this, the ancient highway 
existed until the early part of 1912 as a rural lane, winding 
along as the northeastern boundary of the park and called 
Mount Vernon Avenue. After it crosses McLean Avenue, 
the city line, it is continued in Yonkers over a fine macadam 
street, called Kimball Avenue. 

About one thousand feet from the bridge over Tippett's 
Brook, on the Mile Square Road, a road branched off to the 
southeast and connected with the Boston Road to the west of 
the bridge at Williams's, about East 210th Street. This was 
the Gun Hill Road, so called from Revolutionary days. It 
still exists, and has within the past few years been widened, 
graded, and macadamized. The name is given to the road 
both east and west of the Bronx River, though the greater 
part of it to White Plains Avenue is really the Boston Road. 
A few yards of both of these ancient roads may be found on 
either side of the reservoir-keeper's house at Williamsbridge ; 
their ancient junction is now within the walls of the reservoir. 

About three hundred yards from where the Gun Hill Road 
joined the Boston Road, another road led directly to Yonkers at 
Valentine's Hill; this is to-day, substantially, Jerome Avenue, 
crossing the Gun Hill Road between East 210th and East 21 ith 
streets. Its extension to the southward to the Macomb's 
Dam Road and its conversion into a driveway was one of the 
acts of the Tweed regime in New York, 1870-72. For a 



Early Means of Communication 217 

couple of years, the road has been almost impassable, owing 
to regrading, sewering, etc.; and it will probably be in like 
condition for two or three years more while the extension of 
the subway is building up that avenue. 

If the traveller were coming south over the Albany Road 
from Yonkers, instead of turning east at Van Cortlandt's, 
he might have continued on a road to the west of Tippett's 
Brook which led along the base of Tippett's Hill to the junc- 
tion of Spuyten Duyvil Creek and the Hudson River. This 
road still exists as the Spuyten Duyvil Road, known locally 
as Dash's Lane, after a gentleman of that name who used to 
live here, one of the older generation and a friend of "Felix 
Oldboy." 

Southward of Kingsbridge lay Fordham Manor. The 
street now called the Highbridge Road, leading from the Bronx 
side of Farmers' Bridge, was laid out June 6, 1730, though the 
bridge was not built until 1759 . A week later, in June, 1730, 
the road leading to the Fordham meeting-house was ordered. 
This was the old Dutch church which formerly stood near 
the junction of the Fordham Landing (Berrien's Landing) 
and the Macomb's Dam roads, or on the grounds of Webb's 
Academy near the present Sedgwick Avenue. A road also 
extended before the Revolution from this section to Morris- 
ania opposite Harlem. It was approximately on the line of 
the present Aqueduct Avenue, and crossed Cromwell's Creek 
about East 169th Street, or not far from "Judge Smith's" 
on Jerome Avenue, thence following the lines of Walton and 
Mott avenues to Morrisania, but probably through farms and 
private property. The lower part of Jerome Avenue was 
built by Robert Macomb as a leader to his bridge from the 
road just described; both being known as the Macomb's Dam 
Road. A considerable portion of this road from Featherbed 



2i8 The Story of The Bronx 

Lane is still called Macomb's Road; it connected Fordham 
with Devoe's Point. 

Featherbed Lane is a road connecting Aqueduct Avenue 
from near the Borough end of the Washington Bridge with 
Jerome Avenue, down a steep and winding way. The author 
has heard three different stories as to the origin of this peculiar 
name. One is that during the Revolution, the inhabitants 
living along the road contributed their feather beds for the 
use of the patriots. A second, which he thinks the most 
Hkely of all, is that the road was of so spongy a material that 
to walk on it was like walking on a feather bed. A third is 
that the road was so exceedingly rough that to secure any 
degree of comfort in driving over it, it was necessary to have 
a feather bed in the wagon for a seat — but this would answer 
almost equally well for all the colonial roads. 

The Fordham Landing Road came under the care of the 
commissioners in May, 1768, as on the third of that month 
there is an entry in the ancient records to the effect that 

"Commissioners, at request of freeholders and inhabitants of 
that part of the Manor of Fordham lying upon Harlem River 
to the south of the old Dutch church, viewed the road (laid 
out to the river by said church) , beginning a little to the east- 
ward of said Dutch church, and thence running southerly as 
the said road runs to the landing at the back of the house 
now occupied by Charles Doughty on the patent to Turneur ; 
and have at their request now laid out the same road as and 
for a publick highway, to be two rods wide, with privilege to 
hang gates on the same, provided they are kept in repair so 
as to swing with conveniencey and not otherways." 

In early days another road led from the manor-house at 
Morrisania to the borough-town of Westchester. This proba- 
bly followed the line of the present Lafayette Avenue (so 



Early Means of Communication 219 

called from the fact that the distingiushed Frenchman passed 
over the lane to Boston after his visit at Morrisania in 1824). 
This lane must have joined the present Westchester Avenue 
near Fox's Corners, as the swamp and meadow land of the 
Bronx River would have prevented its continuance in a direct 
line. Westchester Avenue follows the line of the ancient road ; 
this was laid out by the Westchester Turnpike Company 
after 1800. In 1729, the town authorities of Westchester 
ordered that a road should be laid out from the King's Road 
leading from Morrisania to "the landing-place below John 
Hunt's house." This probably refers to the Hunt's Point 
road leading from Fox's Corners. 

On account of the close connection between Westchester 
and Eastchester, there was very early a road connecting the 
two places — one following the old Indian trail. In the patent 
of Colonel Nicolls to the grantees of the "Ten Farms," the 
Westchester Path is specifically mentioned. This is still called 
the Eastchester Road ; it passes up the west side of Westchester 
Creek and joins the Boston Road of 1798 near where Corsa 
Lane comes from Williamsbridge. 

From the road connecting Westchester with Williamsbridge, 
a short distance from the crossing of the Boston, or Coles, 
road, there is a road called the Saw-mill Lane leading to Givan's 
Creek, which enters the Hutchinson River near its mouth. 
It crosses the Eastchester Road north of the Pelham and Bronx 
Parkway; and, from its name, one must conclude that it led 
to a saw-mill. In the will of the Reverend John Bartow, 
under date of January 24, 1725, we find him devising land in 
this neighborhood and describing it as "bounded on the north 
by the road leading to Thomas Haddon's saw-mill." The 
old lane is to be wiped out when the proposed plan of streets 
is carried out. 



220 The Story of The Bronx 

From very early times, a causeway and bridge stood across 
Westchester Creek, connecting the village with Throgg's 
Neck. In the town records of Westchester, we find under 
date of July 9, 1678: "It is ordered that ye bridge betwixt 
Frogges Necke and ye Towne be maintained and upheld by a 
rate to be levied and assessed upon all persons and estates 
that are putt in the county rate belonging to the Township 
of Westchester, East Chester excepted." As there was a 
number of farms on Throgg's Neck, there must have been a 
road leading to Westchester, where were the church, the court- 
house, and such shops as then existed. 

Another important road through the middle of the Borough 
was that leading to White Plains, the county-seat after 1759. 
It is still in existence, north from Bronxdale, passing through 
Olinville, Wakefield, Mount Vernon, and beyond. From 
Williamsbridge northward, this highway and the Boston Road 
were one, until the latter swung off toward Eastchester at 
the head of Black Dog Brook. The present White Plains 
Avenue was laid out about 1863, a little to the west of the old 
road in general, though passing over parts of it. The work of 
widening White Plains Avenue to a boulevard one hundred 
feet in width was begun in the autumn of 1902, after several 
years of consideration ; it was finished in January, 1908. From 
below Laconia Park at the southern end of Williamsbridge, 
another old road leads to Westchester, passing to the eastward 
of the former Morris Park race-track. 

As settlers took up farms along the shore of the Sound 
beyond Westchester, a road was laid out connecting with 
Pelham Manor. Eastchester Creek was crossed either by a 
ford or a ferry, probably the latter, as the tide runs too strongly 
at Pelham Bridge to make fording safe, except at slack water. 
The wooden bridge was not constructed until 18 12. This 



Early Means of Communication 221 

road appears on the military map of the British operations in 
Westchester County in 1776, as do most of the others, but all 
with considerable inaccuracy. This highway, called Pelham 
Road, joins the Eastern Boulevard, or Shore Road, below 
Pelham Bridge, on the boundary line of Pelham Bay Park. 
From near the Bartow station of the Suburban branch of the 
New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad, a road leads 
down to Pell's Point (Rodman's Neck) and City Island, as 
it did in ancient days. The most northerly of the roads in 
this section is the "Split Rock," or Prospect Hill, road, con- 
necting the Shore Road with the old Boston Road by means 
of Wolf's Lane in the town of Pelham. It was the route of 
the retiring Americans during the battle of Pell's Point. 

The principal roads of the Borough, which existed a century 
or more ago, have thus been sketched. We may say, generally, 
that in the earlier days the roads radiated from two points: 
the ancient wading place, ferry, or bridge at Fordham, or 
Kingsbridge, and from the borough-town of Westchester. 
All travellers from Manhattan Island to the mainland had to 
cross Spuyten Duyvil Creek, from which the roads radiated 
like the ribs of an open fan — to Yonkers or Albany, to the 
Mile Square, to Boston or nearer eastern points, to West 
Farms, or to Westchester. The borough-town of Westchester 
was also the county-seat until 1759; and, in consequence, 
roads from all sections of the county led to it. By the above 
date, the upper county had become so settled as to make it a 
hardship for the freeholders to go to the southern extremity 
at Westchester. The Provincial Assembly, therefore, trans- 
ferred the county-seat to White Plains, a point nearer the 
centre of population as well as of area. Through the different 
generations, the names of the same roads have changed quite 
frequently, so that it is sometimes quite difficult to trace some 



222 The Story of The Bronx 

of them under their various aliases. The Highbridge Road, 
for instance, could not have been called such until after the 
construction of High Bridge (1839-42), yet it existed in very- 
early times. After 1813, a part of it was called Macomb's 
Dam Road, and so spoken of in deeds and records. The map 
of the roads accompanying this chapter, though not absolutely 
exact as to scale, is near enough to give an idea of the general 
direction of the principal highways. 

It is a cardinal principle of the common law that every 
landholder is entitled to get to and from his land. In this 
way, as more farms were occupied, there grew up a multitude 
of private lanes and roads, of which many in time became 
public highways, maintained at the public expense, or by tolls, 
if maintained by the owners of abutting property or by other 
persons. This permission ' ' to hang gates ' ' appears in a number 
of cases in the records of the highway commissions. 

Most of the roads of the Borough began first as private 
roads to get to property. After 1850, when the newly-built 
railroads had brought in such a population as to admit of the 
incorporation of villages, the laying out of highways became 
more systematic in each locality. That there was no general 
system can be understood readily by a glance at the map of 
the Borough as it is to-day, with its intricacies of winding 
streets and avenues going apparently in all directions. Of 
course, the topography of the Borough has affected the course 
of the streets to a very large degree. One of the greatest 
problems that confronted the Commissioner of Highways of 
The Bronx, or of Street Improvements, as he was officially 
known, was to whip the chaos of roads into some sort of 
systematic arrangement. This is being done gradually in 
accordance with a plan which has been developing since 
January i, 1893, and which has been completed only since 



Early Means of Communication 223 

1903. In accordance with this plan, during the last decade, 
blasting, grading, cutting down of hills, and filling in low places 
and quagmires have been going on in all portions of the 
Borough. Should a person familiar with a locality where 
such changes are going on visit it a year or two later, he would 
find it developed into wide, well-paved streets, lined with 
solid blocks of residences, factories, or stores. 

A most notable street improvement of recent years is the 
Grand Boulevard and Concourse, which is a great highway 
extending from Gerard Avenue and East i6ist Street to the 
Gun Hill Road, a distance of nearly four miles. The road is 
182 feet wide, and is to serve as a link between Manhattan 
and the park system of the Borough, though no arrangements 
have yet been completed for connecting the lower end of the 
Concotu-se with Manhattan. The idea of the road originated 
with Louis J. Heintz, the first Commissioner of Street Im- 
provements, as far back as 1890; but the preliminaries were 
not completed and ground broken until October i, 1902, and 
the Concourse was not officially opened until November 24, 
1909. If the expectations of its promoters be realized, it 
should be the most magnificent boulevard in the world. 

In colonial days, everybody rode horseback, and this was 
the usual method of getting from place to place. The women 
rode on a pillion behind a man, the pillion being a pad, or ad- 
ditional saddle, behind the regular saddle, upon which the 
woman sat comfortably and safely, as she could hold on to 
the rider in front, as well as having a stirrup by which to 
steady herself. Many of the horses were of fine breed, and 
the wealthy gentlemen kept horses for hunting and racing 
in the English fashion. Some of the gentry had a coach and 
four with liveried footmen and outriders, and so travelled in 
great style, even if not in much comfort on account of the 



224 The Story of The Bronx 

badness of the roads. In his tale of Satanstoe, Cooper describes 
the arrival in New York of Patroon Van Rensselaer of Albany, 
and how the whole younger population, and a good many of 
their elders, went out to the Bowery Lane to see the great 
landowner come into town in his big travelling coach. A two- 
wheeled, springless gig, or carriage, was the usual vehicle of 
the farmer when not riding horseback. The country doctor 
made his rounds on horseback, carrying his instruments and 
drugs in saddle-bags. The first physician of whom we have 
mention in the Borough is Dr. Pell, in 1683. 

In 1796, an enumeration was made of all the vehicles in 
the State; and there appear coaches, chariots, post-chaises, 
phaetons, and other four-wheeled carriages; while of two- 
wheeled vehicles, there were curricles, chaises, top-chairs, 
steel-spring chairs, sulkies, and wooden-spring chairs. The 
chaise was a sort of two-wheeled gig with a top and was 
drawn by either one or two horses; the sulky had a seat for 
only one person. These two-wheeled carriages were best 
suited to the difficult roads. The American woman had 
already begun to show her native independence and ability 
to take care of herself by driving about alone in an open chair, 
much to the amazement of European visitors. 

There were no regular mails before 1673, though letters 
were carried by travellers or by special messengers. In that 
year, Governor Francis Lovelace authorized the establishment 
of a monthly post between New York and Boston in order 
to increase the intercourse between the two colonies. The 
postman was a sworn messenger, and was required to direct 
travellers who might choose to accompany him to the best 
roads and the most commodious stopping-places; he also 
was to select the most convenient places for leaving letters 
and packets and for gathering up the same. He was obliged 



Early Means of Communication 225 

to make the round trip within a month. This scheme of 
Governor Lovelace did not succeed, and so the first mail route 
was abandoned after a short trial. It was revived by Governor 
Dongan in 1685, and a charge of three pence was fixed for 
carrying a letter one hundred miles or less, and for a greater 
distance proportionately. In 1698, there was a regular, 
weekly post to and from Boston. In 1704, Mrs. Sarah Knight 
made the journey, and she has left lively impressions of her 
experiences and the difficulties and dangers that beset her. In 
1708, Lord Cornbury states: "From Boston there is a Post 
by which we can hear once a week in summer, and once a 
fortnight in winter." In 1754, Benjamin Franklin was made 
Postmaster-General of the Colonies, and the post was estab- 
lished weekly, both winter and summer, and letters which 
left Philadelphia on Monday morning reached Boston on 
Saturday night. The post-riders were reliable men, as they 
often carried large sums of money. 

In the early days, the mails were carried on horseback, and 
travellers followed the same method of travel, or used a private 
carriage; but in July, 1772, Jonathan and Nicholas Brown, 
of New York, established a stage-coach between New York 
and Boston. The trip at first was made every fortnight, but 
the enterprise met with so much encouragement that before 
long two and three trips were made a week. The fare was 
4d New York, or 3d lawful, money per mile, and baggage was 
carried at a reasonable rate. A stage was also established to 
Rye in Westchester County and trips were made three times 
a week. The stages were of that heavy, lumbering, canvas- 
topped variety, known as the Conestoga wagon, which later 
became so famous on the western plains with its motto of 
"Pike's Peak, or Bust." The route from New York was by 
way of the Bowery Lane, McGowan's Pass, the Kingsbridge 

IS 



226 The Story of The Bronx 

Road to Spuyten Duy vil Creek, thence by way of Williams- 
bridge to Eastchester, and thence by way of New Rochelle, 
Stamford, and other towns along the Sound to New Haven. 
The Connecticut River constituted a barrier between Say- 
brooke and Old Lyme, so that the stages were obliged to go 
by way of Hartford and Springfield. Of the first stages over 
the Albany Road, mention has already been made. 

MacAdam had not yet revolutionized road-making, and 
so even the best of these old roads were quagmires in wet 
weather, and fetlock deep with dust in dry. Many of the 
streams had to be forded or crossed by ferries, bridges coming 
later with increase of travel. Notwithstanding the establish- 
ment of the post-roads, and the later introduction of stage- 
coaches, the favorite manner of travelling long distances was 
either by horse or sloop, the latter especially suiting the leis- 
urely traveller of that day. In the trip between New York 
and Albany, the sloops came to anchor every night, and the 
journey frequently lasted a week. The same is also true of 
the trip to the east, the inlets and harbors on both sides 
of the Sound furnishing safe and comfortable anchorages at 
night; but it must be remembered that there were no light- 
houses along these thoroughfares to guide the mariner at night. 

Stages were also run from the outlying villages to Morrisania 
and Harlem; and later, in the nineteenth century, when the 
steamboats began to run, these stages connected with the 
boats plying to the city. A hand-bill of 1830 reads as follows : 

"New York, West Farms, and West Chester Stage. 
Stephen Valentine Respectfully informs the inhabitants of 
West Chester and West Farms that he has commenced run- 
ning a line of post coaches to the above places, and hopes by 
strict attention, together with good horses and safe Carriages, 
to meet with a liberal support. 



Early Means of Communication 227 

"Leave West Chester every day at A.M., and No. 18 
Bowery, New York, at half past p.m. 
"Fare to West Farms, 50 Cts. 



TTT . /^i- .L ^ ^y r^. r Winter Arrangement. ' 

West Chester, 623^ Cts. f 

These prices certainly seem very moderate when we take 
into consideration the distance. 

Before the days of the elevated railroads, a favorite route 
of travel was by means of the fast boats running on the East 
River to Peck Slip, Manhattan, from Harlem Bridge. When 
the author has seen the Sylvan Lake, the Sylvan Dell, or the 
Sylvan Stream, or the rival boats, Harlem and Morrisania, 
upon the waters of the St. Lawrence, the St. John's River in 
Florida, or Chesapeake Bay, he has recalled the pleasant sail 
through the East River, with the beautiful estates lining its 
banks, not then outlined against the sky with towering sky- 
scrapers and tenements. Smaller boats used to ply upon the 
Harlem River as far as Kingsbridge, and this, too, within the 
last decade of the nineteenth century. After the railroad was 
built through the Borough, the stages used to carry passengers 
from outlying sections to the stations along the railroad, a 
great convenience, as about 1840 to 1850 many wealthy New 
York merchants began to buy estates in the Borough and to 
erect fine residences ; and the railroad and the stages combined 
made them easily accessible. 



CHAPTER XI 

LATER MEANS OF COMMUNICATION 

THE successftil establishment of a railroad between 
Baltimore and Ellicott's Mills in Maryland, and 
of the Mohawk Valley Railroad, the ancestor of the 
New York Central, turned the attention of both civil and 
mechanical engineers and of capitalists to the possibilities 
of the new method of travel ; and a craze for railroad build- 
ing began, which, with the United States Bank troubles and 
some others, helped to bring on the financial panic of 1837. 

One of the earliest of these railroads to be incorporated was 
the New York and Harlem, April 25, 1831, with a capital of 
$350,000, increased the following year to $500,000, with the 
stipulation that the road should be completed to the Harlem 
River by 1835. This company was authorized to build a 
railroad upon the island of Manhattan only, by way of the 
Bowery and Fourth Avenue. The engineering difficulties 
to be overcome were too much for the engineers of that day, 
and, notwithstanding the stipulation as to the completion of 
the road by 1835, it was little more than started at that date. 
On April 17, 1832, the New York and Albany Railroad was in- 
corporated for the purpose of building a road from the end of 
Fourth Avenue, Manhattan, to Albany. This company met 

with no success in raising money for its construction; and, on 

228 



Later Means of Communication 229 

the principle of two people who have nothing getting married 
to share their united poverty, the later company surrendered 
its Westchester County rights to the earlier company, and the 
two combined in 1838 as the New York and Harlem Railroad 
Company. The Legislature of 1840 affirmed the contract 
between the two companies, and further authorized the 
construction of a bridge over the Harlem River, and the exten- 
sion of the road to Putnam County. By this last date, the 
country had begun to recover from the panic of 1837, so that 
by the time the extension was begun through Westchester 
County more funds were forthcoming, and the capital was 
increased to $1,950,000, and $1,000,000 more were needed to 
carry the road to the county line. 

The first portion of the road above the Harlem River was 
to extend to White Plains. The easiest route was found to 
be by way of the valley of the Mill Brook to Williamsbridge, 
whence the valley of the Bronx River was followed to White 
Plains, a distance of twenty miles. By this route not much 
grading was necessary, nor was there required much blasting 
through rock. Several bridges were needed, which, however, 
did not give the engineers much trouble, as the spans were 
short ; this was not the case, however, with the bridge over the 
Harlem River, which, for a long time, was a hard nut for the 
engineers to crack. 

The road was a single-track one, and was finished to Ford- 
ham by October, 1841, to Williamsbridge by 1842, and to 
White Plains by the end of 1844. It thus passed through the 
towns of Morrisania, West Farms (Fordham), Yonkers, and 
Eastchester within the Borough. "The first running of the 
trains through the country was a matter of great curiosity 
and crowds of people surveyed them from the surrounding 
hUls, " said an old employee of the company. Celebrations 



230 The Story of The Bronx 

were held to commemorate the completion of the road ; and at 
one of them, the following toast was offered: "The Locomo- 
tive, the only good motive for riding a man upon a rail." 
The completion of the railroad gave an impetus to the section 
through which it passed, and the growth of the Borough 
may be dated from 1842, the lower portions building up first 
as being nearer the great city. 

The Harlem Railroad and the New York and New Haven, 
the latter being the lessee, were supposed to have equal rights 
in the freight station which both occupied at Centre, White, 
Franklin, and Ehn streets, upon the site now occupied by the 
Criminal Courts Building, north of the Tombs prison. The 
New Haven road had a regular passenger station at Broadway 
and Canal Street, at that time (i 840-1 850) near the heart of 
the city; while the Harlem road transported its passengers 
in its own street cars to Twenty-seventh Street and Fourth 
Avenue, where the locomotives of both roads were attached, 
the heavy coaches of the New Haven road being hauled from 
Canal Street by teams of four or six horses. 

About July, 1857, the block bounded by Fourth and Madi- 
son avenues and by Twenty-sixth and Twenty-seventh streets 
became the joint passenger station of the two railroads, and 
continued so until the erection of the Grand Central Station at 
Forty-second Street. For a number of years previous to the re- 
moval, the use of steam locomotives was forbidden below Forty- 
second Street, and both roads were obliged to haul their 
coaches by four- and six-horse teams up Fourth Avenue, 
through the Park Avenue tunnel to its upper end, where the 
trains were made up and the locomotives attached. 

The Legislature of 1869-70 authorized the erection of the 
Grand Central Station and the tunnel work on Park Avenue 
above. In the summer of 1870, the Harlem and the Hudson 




Old Foot-bridge over Bronx River near Woodlawn. 
From a sketch made in 1881 by W. J. Wilson. 




The Railroad Depot on Fourth Avenue, Corner of 27th Street. 

From Valentine's Manual, i860 



Later Means of Communication 231 

River railroads took possession of the new station; but, owing 
to differences between them and the New Haven road, the 
last continued to use the Twenty-seventh Street station for 
about a year and a half longer; then the site was taken for 
the Madison Square Garden. The freight station at Franklin 
Street was used for several years after this, the freight cars 
being hauled through Fourth Avenue and the Bowery by means 
of horses until the lease of the premises expired, when the 
Harlem freight went to the old Hudson River yards at Thir- 
tieth Street and Tenth Avenue and to St. John's Park, and 
that of the New Haven went to the water front on South 
Street and to the yards at North New York and Port Morris, 
both within the Borough. 

We have thus seen how the passenger station has worked 
its way uptown. The congestion of trains in the Park Avenue 
tunnel and the enormous passenger traffic concentrated in the 
Grand Central Station called forth the best efforts of the 
engineers of the railroads, and a scheme of improvements, 
involving the spending of many millions of dollars, has been 
underway at the Grand Central Terminal during the past 
five years. Notwithstanding the magnitude of the work 
and the expenditure of money, there are some observers who 
think that these great improvements will be comparatively 
temporary, and that the station will have to be moved event- 
ually above the Harlem River. In view of this fact, the North 
Side Board of Trade submitted a scheme to the proper authori- 
ties in the fall of 1902, before work was begun at the terminal, 
for a grand union station on the Harlem River, with Third 
and Fourth avenues and East 138th Street as its other bound- 
aries. This site would be convenient for all the existing 
trolley lines on Third Avenue, for the Suburban branch of the 
New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad, for the West- 



232 The Story of The Bronx 

Chester and Boston electric road, and for the completed and 
proposed subways, while connections could be made with the 
Second and Third Avenue elevated roads at a comparatively 
small expense. 

The Harlem Railroad was a single-track road originally, 
but its business increased to so great an extent that, in 1852, 
it was double-tracked for the first seventeen miles of its length. 
The enormously increasing business of both the Harlem and 
the New Haven roads below Woodlawn, compelled the Harlem 
road to quadruple its tracks from that station to the Harlem 
River. This was accomplished in the fall of 1891 by the 
widening of the road-bed, the sinking of the tracks, and the 
building of retaining walls at an expense of about $2,000,000. 
The Port Morris branch was practically completed at the same 
time, though there had been a single track for upwards of 
forty years. The great steel bridge over the Harlem River, 
carrying four tracks, the first ever so constructed, was erected 
at the same time at a cost of $951,398.17. The length of the 
bridge is 706 feet ; its width is fifty-six feet, and the draw has a 
length of 389 feet. 

In addition to its more than one hundred miles of track 
within the Borough, the Central road has a great yard at 
Melrose, containing fifty-five acres, for the storage of extra 
cars and motors, as well as a freight yard for Bronx freight. 
The maximum passenger rate under the general railroad laws 
of 1848 and 1850 was three cents a mile; the average rate is 
now about two and one half cents, and for commuters consid- 
erably less. 

On May 12, 1846, the Hudson River Railroad was chartered 
by the State; but work did not begin until the following year. 
The plan was for the road to follow very closely the east bank 
of the Hudson River from the station at Thirtieth Street and 



Later Means of Communication 233 

Tenth Avenue, Manhattan, to the towns of Greenbush and 
East Albany, opposite the capital city. By November, 
1847, the contractors had begun work on the various sections 
of the road-bed; but the difficulties of waves and tides from 
the river and the hard cutting through the rocky promon- 
tories on the line of the road caused numerous delays. The 
work was pushed with en,ergy, but the contractors could not 
get their men to work at night; and the enjoyment of the 
laborers themselves was frequently enhanced by the scrim- 
mages which occurred between the "Corkonians and the 
Far- Downs," the Irishmen who constituted the gangs of 
workmen having transplanted sectional animosities from the 
"Old Sod," as well as themselves and their material belong- 
ings. These kept the surgeons busy, but did not increase the 
joy of the contractors. The directors were, however, generous 
with the contractors on account of unforeseen delays. As 
planned and built, the road was double-tracked as far as 
Poughkeepsie. Travel began to Peekskill September 29, 
1849, and to East Albany, October 13, 1851. 

The New York Central Railroad was authorized April 2, 
1 85 1, and its organization perfected August i, 1853. Its 
charter was issued for the purpose of consolidating all the 
roads between Albany and Buffalo and Suspension Bridge. 
Among these minor roads was the Mohawk and Hudson, the 
oldest railroad in the State, chartered in 1826 and opened on 
September 12, 1831. On November i, 1869, the Hudson River 
and the New York Central railroads were consolidated under 
the name and title of the New York Central and Hudson 
River Railroad Company. 

April 24, 1867, the Spuyten Duyvil and Port Morris Rail- 
road was chartered. Its length is 6.04 miles, and it connects 
the Harlem Railroad at the Melrose yards with the Hudson 



234 The Story of The Bronx 

River Railroad at Spuyten Duyvil. Its cost was $989,000; 
and it was leased by the Central road on November i, 1871, 
until December 31, 1970, at an annual rental of eight per cent. 
on its cost. It was necessary for the lessee to have control of 
this road in order to get to the Grand Central Station in 1870. 
It was about the same time that the Central secured control 
of the Harlem Railroad. For many years, the passage of the 
railroad through Kingsbridge on the surface made several of 
the most dangerous road and street crossings in the State. 
The course of the road-bed was very tortuous and twisting. In 
order to overcome this, the route was changed in February, 
1906, so that the road-bed now crosses Spuyten Duyvil 
Creek on a causeway and then follows the ship-canal to the 
Hudson River, its bed being on a shelf blasted out of the north- 
ern side of the canal. It is proposed to fill in the bed of the 
stream from the causeway up to the ancient bridge over the 
creek. 

Beginning in 1905, work was begun to change the motive 
power of the Harlem road from steam to electricity. The 
first train propelled by the new power ran fron New York to 
Wakefield on January 28, 1907. The third-rail system is 
used. On the sixteenth of February of the same year, the 
White Plains and Brewsters express, while rounding the curve 
at 2o6th Street, below Williamsbridge, at a speed of over fifty 
miles an hour, suddenly left the tracks, owing, so it is sup- 
posed, to the spreading of the rails, and twenty-three people 
were killed and over seventy badly injured. 

The construction of these roads, while giving access to the 
western part of the Borough, has had no such effect in increas- 
ing population as had the building of the Harlem road 
through the middle of the Borough. Private estates and 
domains of considerable size prevail to-day in Riverdale, 



Later Means of Communication 235 

Spuyten Duyvil, and Kingsbridge, which still keep their rural 
character, though the march of improvements and the real- 
estate operator will soon divest them of this characteristic. 

The next railroad to be constructed within the Borough 
was the New York and New Haven Railroad, which was 
chartered in Connecticut. Work was begun at this end of 
the road in 1847; and on December 25, 1848, the first train, 
filled with directors and their guests, passed over the road 
between its termini. The road comes from New Haven and 
joins the Harlem road at Wakefield, and continues over the 
Harlem tracks to the station in New York City. Its only 
station within the Borough is Woodlawn, so that it has not 
done much in developing this portion of the Borough. It was 
consolidated with the New Haven and Hartford Railroad in 
1872, under the name of the New York, New Haven, and Hart- 
ford Railroad. It is a curious fact that when this railroad 
first began to run its trains, the passengers were booked as in 
the days of the stage-coaches, and the conductors were obliged 
to report the names of the passengers to the company. 

In 1872, the Harlem River and Port Chester Railroad was 
incorporated, with a right of way from the Harlem River to 
Port Chester, the last village in the county of Westchester on 
the Sound. It was immediately leased by the New York and 
New Haven road, and its construction begun. It is usually 
spoken of as the Suburban, or Harlem, division of the New 
York, New Haven, and Hartford. Speaking generally, its 
route follows the shore of the Sound to New Rochelle on the 
main line. Its station and yards at the Harlem River occupy 
the site of the house, barns, and home farm of Jonas Bronk, 
and the manor-house of the Morrises ; and on the East River 
they occupy Oak Point, known in earlier days as Leggett's 
Point. Access is had to Manhattan by means of the elevated 



236 The Story of The Bronx 

railroad. The length of the road is eleven and one half miles, 
but with sidings and other tracks the entire trackage runs 
well over one hundred miles. The possession of this branch 
gives the New York, New Haven, and Hartford an outlet for 
its freight business, as the length of water front controlled 
by it on the East River gives ample space for its car floats 
and freight yards. In addition, several through passenger trains 
are run on board large steam ferry-boats and transported to 
the connecting roads in New Jersey without putting travellers 
to the inconvenience of transfers through the city of New York. 
The road is to be connected in the near future with the Long 
Island Railroad, and will thus have access to the Pennsylvania 
Station; this will be done by means of a bridge across the 
East River to Queens Borough by way of Randall's and Ward's 
islands. The corporation constructing the bridge and road is 
known as the New York Connecting Railway. About $20,- 
000,000 are to be expended ; and the American Bridge Com- 
pany, the contractor, began work in the fall of 191 1. 

While the construction of the Hudson River Railroad 
required a good deal of blasting and cutting down, that of the 
Suburban branch required the reverse; as owing to the low 
lands and meadows abounding on the eastern side of the 
Borough a great deal of the Suburban road-bed had to be 
filled in. Its construction has been one of the factors in the 
development of the eastern part of the Borough. Beginning 
in 1903, work was begun to increase the road to six tracks and 
to install electric traction. This has entailed an enormous 
amount of work and the construction of numerous heavy 
steel bridges to carry the streets across the tracks, and the 
work is not yet finished (April, 1912). 

The mutations of the Putnam division of the New York 
Central and Hudson River Railroad have been numerous. 



Later Means of Communication 237 

July 3, 1877, the New York, Westchester, and Putnam Rail- 
road Company was organized as a successor in part of the New 
York, Boston, and Montreal Railway, organized in 1871. 
February 18, 1878, the New York City and Northern was 
organized, and acquired under lease the property of the above 
mentioned road. July 21, 1879, the West Side and Yonkers 
Railway was organized. July 8, 1880, the Yonkers Rapid 
Transit Railway Company was organized. June 4, 1881, 
the Yonkers Rapid Transit Company, New York division, 
was organized. October 11, 1887, the New York and North- 
ern Railway was organized after the sale under foreclosure 
of the New York City and Northern Railway Company, and 
by consolidation with the above two last-mentioned roads. 
May I, 1890, it also acquired under lease the West Side and 
Yonkers Railway. 

Under judgment of foreclosure against the New York and 
Northern Railway Company, its property and franchises 
were sold December 28, 1893, and conveyed January 12, 1894, 
to J. Pierpont Morgan, J. Hood Wright, and Charles H. 
Coster as joint tenants. The same day, they organized the 
New York and Putnam Railroad, under two acts of the Legis- 
lature of June 7, 1890, and May 12, 1892, and conveyed all 
property and franchises to the new company. On January 30, 
1894, the New York and Putnam Railroad was leased by the 
New York Central and Hudson River Railroad at an annual 
rental of four per cent, on first mortgage consolidated gold 
bonds to the sum of $5,000,000 of principal, and upon $1,200,- 
000 to be issued to retire the five per cent, bonds of the New 
York and Northern Railway Company. After all these vicis- 
situdes, the road has become the Putnam division of the leas- 
ing company. 

The intent of the original projectors of the road was to 



238 The Story of The Bronx 

connect at Brewster's in Putnam County with roads for Boston 
and Montreal. Its southern terminus was at High Bridge; 
but the West Side and Yonkers Railroad was organized to 
build an extension of one and one sixteenth miles to the Harlem 
River to connect with the elevated railroads by means of a 
bridge at 155th Street. As early as 1871, a considerable 
portion of the right of way was purchased, and some grading 
done, but owing to financial difficulties and reorganizations 
the road was not opened to traffic until the spring of 1881. 
A branch from Van Cortlandt Park connects with Yonkers by 
means of half -hourly rapid transit trains. The Putnam road 
has opened up High Bridge, Morris Dock, Morris Heights, 
University Heights, Kingsbridge, and Van Cortlandt Park. 
Though run at a loss during its earlier years, it is now paying 
more than its expenses under its present lessee. The motive 
power is still the steam locomotive, though suggestions have 
been made to introduce electricity. The cost of the road has 
been $11,700,000, an average of nearly $206,000 for every one 
of its 58.88 miles to Brewster's, and it is single track at that. 

Under the State Railroad Act of 1850, a number of street- 
car lines was formed and articles of association filed, but 
nothing seems to have been done until later. Among these 
later ones were the New York and Westchester Railroad 
Company, September 24, 1859; New York and Yonkers 
Railroad Company, October 17, 1859; Union Railroad Com- 
pany of Westchester, December 15, 1859; Port Morris and 
Westchester Railroad Company, April 2, 1861 ; and the 
Third Avenue and Fordham Railroad Company, on the same 
date. The president of all these companies was David 
Milliken, and the leading name of each of the boards of 
directors was Gouverneur Morris. 

The last of these companies was incorporated under Chapter 



Later Means of Communication 239 

143 of the laws of i860, to authorize the construction of rail- 
way and tracks in West Farms, Westchester, Eastchester, 
New Rochelle, Yonkers, and Morrisania. The road was to 
extend from Harlem Bridge to Fordham, via Third Avenue, 
but as the road was not completed by December 11, 1862, 
its charter became extinct. The rest of the companies held 
on to their charters, and were built, more or less, subsequently. 
The Third Avenue and Fordham Railroad had a natural 
successor in the Harlem Bridge, Morrisania, and Fordham 
Railroad Company, incorporated in 1863, with a route from 
the bridge to Fordham via Third Avenue; this was the first 
street railway in the Borough. According to the report filed 
at the end of 1864 by its president, John B. Haskins, five miles 
of road had been built at a cost of $158,749.22 and 571,450 
passengers had been carried. The road was capitalized at 
$300,000, of which $72,000 was paid up; the outstanding in- 
debtedness of $88,000 bore interest at seven per cent. It 
owned seventeen first-class and two second-class cars, which 
travelled by horse power at the rate of six and one half miles 
an hour, including stops, or seven miles an hour while in 
motion. The rates of fare were as follows: 

Harlem Bridge to Morrisania 5 cents 

" Tremont 8 " 

" Fordham 10 " 

In 1865, the fare to Morrisania was increased to six cents, and 
the average rate of speed (?) decreased to six miles an hour. 
This is the rate of progress according to the report. As a 
matter of fact, on very stormy nights the cars did not run 
at all, or at such infrequent intervals as to be useless as a 
means of transportation. The road-bed was so poor that very 
often, when the driver attempted to put on a spurt of speed, 



240 The Story of The Bronx 

there would be a sudden jar and stoppage; and then the con- 
ductor would stick his head into the car and inquire plain- 
tively: "Will th' gintilmin plaze get aff th' car an' help lift 
it back on th' track; an' will th' ladies plaze git aff th' car till 
th' gintilmin git troo?" There was all the excitement of the 
hold-up of a western stage-coach; and the "gintilmin" oblig- 
ingly alighted and lifted the car back, whereupon the inter- 
rupted journey would be resumed. So frequent were the 
mishaps and delays, that a writer in the New York Herald 
in 1864 spoke about getting off the cars at such times to pick 
huckleberries. Here was a convenient and handy nick-name; 
and the Huckleberry Road it became at once; a name which 
was applied to the whole system of street cars in the Borough, 
and which became notorious under the wide powers granted 
to the "Huckleberry System" by the act of the Legislatiu"e of 
1892, authorizing the incorporation of the Union Railway 
Company. 

The first extension of the horse-car service was in 1870, 
when two cars were run between Third Avenue and West 
Farms by way of the Boston Road. Since then many exten- 
sions have been made, both in the days of the horse and in 
the days of the trolley, until the Borough is fairly gridironed 
with street-car surface lines, most of which give and take 
transfers to and from other connecting or crossing lines. 

The trolley, or electric, motive power was first introduced 
in October, 1892; the overhead system is the only one used in 
the Borough. The street-car service extends from the Harlem 
River northward from three points, Harlem Bridge, Central 
Bridge, and Kingsbridge, though cars cross the Madison Ave- 
nue, the Lenox Avenue, and the Washington bridges. The 
most important of these radiating points is Harlem Bridge, 
over which many lines pass from their terminus at 128th Street 



Later Means of Communication 241 

and Third Avenue, Manhattan. These lines go over a part 
of Third Avenue for a greater or less distance before diverging 
to their special destination. Until the spring of 1908, an 
additional fare of three cents would secure a transfer to or from 
the elevated. 

The entire system within the Borough was under the Union 
Railway Company, or "Huckleberry Road," until January, 
1898, when the Third Avenue Company secured control. 
The Third Avenue and leased lines were, in their tiirn, leased 
to the MetropoHtan Street Railway Company on April 13, 
1900, for nine hundred and ninety-nine years. On November 
25, 1901, the Interurban Railway Company secured control. 
The development of the system is, however, mainly due to 
the Union Railway Company. In January, 1904, the Inter- 
urban Company petitioned the county court of Westchester 
County to change its name to the New York Railway Com- 
pany. 

During the decade from 1898 to 1908, all the railways of 
Manhattan and The Bronx were being manipulated by the 
late William C. Whitney and others, with the result that they 
came virtually under one management. The stock was 
enormously increased beyond any reasonable relation to the 
actual value of the road-beds, rolling stock, bams, power- 
houses, franchises, and earning capacity, so that in June, 
1908, they went into the hands of receivers; and the transfers 
to and from the elevated and the Westchester Traction Com- 
pany were abolished by the United States courts, though 
those with the Westchester Company have been resumed in 
some cases. 

The successful operation upon Manhattan Island of the 
elevated railroads after 1870 turned the attention of engineers 
and capitalists to the possibilities of similar structures in the 



242 The Story of The Bronx 

newly annexed district. Accordingly, April 5, 1880, articles 
of association were filed by the Harlem River and Port Chester 
Rapid Transit Company, under the general railroad laws 
of 1850, for the construction of a steam railway from East 
129th Street and Second Avenue, Manhattan, to a point on 
Westchester Avenue near the Bronx River, there dividing 
into two branches, one of which was to go to Hunt's Point. 

October 19, 1880, the Suburban Rapid Transit Company 
was chartered under the Rapid Transit Act of 1875, relating 
to elevated railroads. November 30, 1883, the New York, 
Fordham, and Bronx Railway Company filed articles of incor- 
poration under the same act for the purpose of constructing 
a railroad in the Annexed District, to connect with the elevated 
railroads then running on Manhattan Island, and to extend to 
Bronxdale and Williamsbridge in two branches from Fordham. 
March 17, 1886, the Suburban Rapid Transit Company ac- 
quired all the rights, franchises, etc., of the last-named company 
and began the construction of an elevated road from East 
129th Street and Third Avenue, south of the Harlem River, 
to 143d Street, between Willis and Alexander avenues in 
the Borough. The bridge over the Harlem River, generally 
known as the "Second Avenue Bridge," was opened to the 
public May 17, 1886. 

In 1887, the line was continued to i6ist Street, a distance 
of 2.16 miles from the Manhattan end. To 145th Street, the 
road uses its own property, none of the streets being used 
except to cross over, and the tracks are constructed in the 
middle, of the blocks between Willis and Alexander avenues. 
From 145th Street, the elevated structure follows the line 
of Third Avenue. The next extension was made to Tremont, 
177th Street, in July, 1891. Another extension was made to 
Pelham Avenue, Fordham, in 1900; and the last extension was 



Later Means of Communication 243 

made to Bronx Park through the grounds of Fordham Univer- 
sity in 1902, thus making the total length of the line about five 
miles. Until August, 1891, to get from any place in the 
Annexed District to any place in Manhattan by elevated 
required the payment of two fares, or ten cents ; but upon this 
date the Manhattan Company acquired the Suburban, and 
since that time the fare from the upper terminus of the road 
to the South Ferry has been five cents. The future will 
undoubtedly see the farther extension of the elevated road to 
the city line, and ultimately, to within the cities of Mt. Vernon 
and Yonkers. 

As early as the middle of the last century, the subject of 
underground railways was discussed for the old city of New 
York. In 1868, the New York Central Underground Railway 
was chartered; in 1872, the New York Rapid Transit Com- 
pany, in which Cornelius Vanderbilt was interested, was 
chartered, and among other schemes was the Beach Pneumatic 
Railway Company, which actually built a section underground, 
still existing abreast of City Hall Park. ' All these companies, 
though granted full powers and excellent routes, failed to 
attract the necessary capital for their construction; and the 
building of the elevated roads sidetracked the idea of under- 
ground railways for several years, or until 1884, when the 
discussion was resumed. 

In his message to the Common Council in January, 1888, 

Mayor Hewitt called their attention to the subject of under- 

' On February 8, 19 12, preparatory to beginning work on the new 
Broadway-Lexington Avenue subway, a party of engineers and contractors 
visited the old tunnel. They found the tube in an excellent state of pre- 
servation, but the rails had almost entirely rusted away, and the one car 
of the Beach Railway, which had been immured for forty years, was in a 
state of absolute decay. The brick-work of the tube was in such good 
condition that the contractors feared it would take as much work to de- 
molish it as to build the new tube. 



244 The Story of The Bronx 

ground railways by stating that the existing railways of the 
city would soon be inadequate for the increasing traffic, and 
that the construction of an underground railway was desirable 
and would be soon absolutely necessary. In view of these 
facts, he suggested that some scheme should be devised to 
advance the credit of the city for building such roads, as a 
large amount of capital would be required ; but nothing came 
of the Mayor's suggestion. 

In 1890, the Legislature enacted a rapid-transit bill affecting 
cities of over one million inhabitants. Under the provisions 
of this act. Mayor Grant appointed the first Rapid Transit 
Commission, which made a report, June 16, 1890, in favor of 
an underground railway. Routes were selected, soundings 
made, consents of property owners obtained, other property 
selected for condemnation by the Supreme Coiu"t, and, finally, 
the franchises were offered for sale, but no responsible bidder 
appeared; the plan, which had cost the city over $130,000, was 
dropped. 

In 1893, a responsible banking house offered to construct 
the road if the city would loan its credit to an amount not to 
exceed thirty millions of dollars; but ex- Mayor Hewitt pointed 
out that the city was forbidden by the Constitution of the 
State to loan its credit for private enterprises, and that the 
city must own anything for which its credit was advanced. 
A bill embodying the ideas of Mr. Hewitt was passed by the 
Legislature and signed by Governor Flower May 22, 1894. 
A new Commission was appointed by the Mayor, of which 
Alexander E. Orr was president, and William Barclay Parsons 
was chief engineer, both of whom held the same positions when 
the road was completed. The act authorized the use of the 
referendum at the election of November 6, 1894, to see whether 
the people were willing to increase the city's indebtedness by 



Later Means of Communication 245 

the issue of bonds for the construction of the road, which 
was to be the property of the city. The vote showed 132,000 
in favor of, and 43,000 opposed to, the plan. It was not until 
January 14, 1897, that the routes were finally decided upon and 
published; and it was not until January 15, 1900, that, all 
legal difficulties having been overcome, the Commission was 
able to open bids for the construction of the underground 
railway. 

There were two bidders; and the contract was awarded to 
John B. McDonald, who offered to construct the underground 
railway for $30,000,000. The contracts were signed February 
1 , 1900, and the work was formally begun on the twenty-fourth 
of March by Mayor Van Wyck, who began the excavation in 
front of the City Hall. The road was divided into divisions 
and these into sections let to sub-contractors. No time was 
lost in getting to work upon all sections of the road. 

The underground rapid-transit railway, or "subway," 
as it is called popularly, enters the Borough at two points, 
Morrisania and Kingsbridge. At Kingsbridge the road is 
elevated, crossing the bridge over Spuyten Duyvil Creek. 
The terminus of the Broadway branch of the subway is at 
242 d Street and Van Cortlandt Park. 

The West Farms division crosses under the Harlem River 
in tubes at West 145th Street, Manhattan, the tracks emerging 
from the subway east of Third Avenue at 149th Street. From 
there to its terminus at West Farms and Boston Road it is 
an elevated structure, following Westchester Avenue and the 
Southern Boulevard. Work was started in the Borough in 
the spring of 1901, and the road was formally opened for 
passenger traffic from City Hall to 145th Street, Manhattan, 
on October 27, 1904, and to the West Farms terminus on July 
10, 1905. 



246 The Story of The Bronx 

April I, 1903, the Interborough Rapid Transit Company 
was formed by the interests engaged in building the subway 
for the purpose of controlling both the subway and the ele- 
vated railway. As their interests have thus become identical, 
the two roads issue transfers to each other at their crossing 
at Third Avenue and 149th Street. The contracting company 
had until September, 1904, to complete the construction of 
the road, after which it leases the road from the city for a 
period of fifty years at a fixed annual rental. At the expira- 
tion of the lease, the road with its entire equipment of power- 
houses, rolling stock, etc., becomes the property of the city 
absolutely. What an opportunity that will be for the authori- 
ties of the city to place their political henchmen ! 

The subway, during its seven years of existence, has been 
the most important factor in causing the enormous increase 
in the population of the Borough. That it is totally inade- 
quate for the demands made upon it is shown daily in the 
overcrowded condition of its trains, producing scenes of 
brutal indecency that I do not believe would be submitted to 
by any other people in the world. The demand has been 
unanimous for some years upon the city officials to extend 
and enlarge the routes of underground travel ; but the rivalries 
of the Interborough and the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Com- 
panies, the danger of going beyond the debt limit, and the 
apparent impossibility of the Mayor, the Board of Estimate 
and Apportionment, the Board of Aldermen, and the Public 
Service Commission getting to a common basis of agreement 
tied the matter up for years. At last, in the fall of 191 1, 
contracts were let for the building of some of the proposed 
lines. 

That in which the Borough is interested is the new route 
up the east side of Manhattan, thus saving the time necessar}^ 



Later Means of Communication 247 

for the present detour to the west side. This is called the 
Broadway-Lexington Avenue route, because it starts in lower 
Broadway, but swings over to Lexington Avenue, which it 
follows to the Harlem River, under which it crosses in tubes. 
At East 138th Street and Park Avenue, the subway will divide 
into two branches of three tracks each: the Jerome Avenue 
branch, and the Southern Boulevard branch. 

The first named remains underground to River Avenue and 
East 157th Street, where it emerges from the ground and 
becomes elevated above Jerome Avenue, which it follows to 
Woodlawn, a distance of 6.1 miles. 

The other route will turn east under 138th Street as far as 
the Southern Boulevard, which it will follow underground as 
far as Hunt's Point, where it will swing under Whitlock Avenue 
which it will follow to a point south of Westchester Avenue. 
Here it emerges from the ground and becomes elevated over 
Westchester Avenue, which it will follow to Pelham Bay Park, 
a distance of 7.2 miles. 

Work was begun upon the different sections of the road in 
Manhattan in November, 191 1, and the first work was started 
in The Bronx with appropriate ceremonies at Mott Avenue, 
just north of 138th Street on the morning of December 4, 191 1 . 
It is expected that the road will be running at the expiration 
of two years from the beginning of work. Another extension 
of the rapid-trg,nsit system will be started probably within a 
few months, when the Interborough agrees upon terms with 
the city for an extension from its present terminus at West 
Farms by way of White Plains Avenue to, or near, the city 
line. 

In 1898, Mr. W. C. Gotshall, an electrical engineer, con- 
ceived the idea of an electric railway to run to Port Chester. 
It was organized under the laws of the State on April 5, 1901, 



248 The Story of The Bronx 

and application was made to the railroad commissioners for 
a franchise. At the first public hearing, strong opposition 
was manifested by the New York, New Haven, and Hartford 
Railroad, the New York Central, the Union Railway Com- 
pany, and the New York and Stamford, the last still to be 
constructed. Mr. Gotshall stated what his company intended 
to do; and these statements he supported with the strongest 
kind of evidence, so that the citizens of the Borough and of 
Westchester County were almost unanimously in his favor. 
After the first hearing, the opposing roads, with the exception 
of the New Haven, withdrew their opposition. Then followed 
a fight for several years. The New York, Westchester, and 
Boston Railroad then entered the field; but great doubt 
existed as to the value of its charter, which had expired, so it 
was alleged, because nothing had been done in the way of con- 
struction within the time specified by law. 

The application of the Port Chester road to the Board of 
Aldermen of the city for permission to cross the streets of the 
Borough on its own right of way was held up for over a year, 
while the application of the Boston and Westchester was 
granted almost at once. The reason given by one of the 
aldermen on the Committee on Railroads was "that the Port 
Chester Company had not convinced him of its financial 
responsibility, while the Westchester people came and showed 
they had the money." Whereupon General Daniel Sickles, 
then a member of the Board of Aldermen, who had asked the 
question, simply said: "Oh!" 

To the author, who followed the various applications and 
proceedings for several years, it seemed that the Port Chester 
people, backed by the entire populations of the sections through 
which the road would pass, tried to get its franchise without 
"buying" it from the authorities, while the Westchester road 



Later Means of Communication 249 

"showed" its money (to use an aldermanic term), to the 
authorities and convinced them of its financial abiHty. How- 
ever that may be, the Port Chester people offered so much to 
the city in the way of payment of its franchise that the 
court of appeals at last ordered that it should be granted, in 
accordance with the unanimous vote of the State Railroad 
Commissioners. 

Work was begun upon the road-bed on June 21, 1906, and 
large sums of money were spent, both in the Borough and in 
Westchester County; then, after months of work, everything 
suddenly stopped and remained so for over a year. Then the 
public was informed through the press that both the contend- 
ing roads had sold their franchises to the New York, New 
Haven, and Hartford Railroad; and assurances came from 
President Mellen of that railroad in the latter part of January, 
1909, that work would be resumed upon the construction of 
the electric elevated lines of the two roads, combined into one, 
at as early a date as convenient. 

The convenient day came sooner than most people expected, 
for work was resumed shortly after. In the fall of 191 1, the 
railroad officials announced that the road would be running 
early in February; but, owing to the delay in receiving equip- 
ment, the first passenger trains were not run until May 29, 
1912. At West Farms there is a great union station with the 
subway, but the Port Chester road continues south over Walker 
Avenue and comes down to the level of the tracks of the 
Suburban branch of the New York, New Haven, and Hartford, 
which it uses to the terminus of the Suburban branch. North- 
ward from the union station at Adams Street and Morris Park 
Avenue, the Port Chester road parallels the latter for some 
distance, then crosses the old Morris Park race track and 
continues straightway to the city line near old St. Paul's, 



250 The Story of The Bronx 

Eastchester. The route is owned by the railroad company, 
and public streets are not used, though several have been 
closed at Van Nest, where the union station is located. There 
are no grade crossings on the road from beginning to end. 



CHAPTER XII 

THE CHURCHES 

THE earliest settlers in the Borough, Throgmorton's 
colony of 1642 and those who settled at Westchester 
in 1653, were refugees from the New England col- 
onies who sought the Dutch colony of New Netherland for a 
freer exercise of their religion; the policy of the Dutch in 
regard to religious matters being much more liberal than that 
pursued in Plymouth, Massachusetts Bay, Salem, or the Con- 
necticut colonies. Most of these settlers were Independents, 
the rest were Quakers. 

In 1646, Father Jogue, a Jesmt missionary, visited New 
Amsterdam and wrote: "No religion is publicly exercised but 
the Calvinist, and orders are to admit none but Calvinists, 
but this is not observed; and there are in the Colony besides 
the Calvinists, Catholics, English Puritans, Lutherans, Ana- 
baptists, here called Mnistres, &c., &c. " 

Sir Edmund Andros, the Governor, in an account of 
New York in 1678, says: 

"There are Religions of all sorts, one Church of England, 
severall Presbiterians & Independents, Quakers & Anabaptists, 
of severall sects, some Jews, but presbiterians & Indipend'^ 
most numerous & substantial! . . . And all places oblidged 
to build churches and provide for a minister, in w*"** most very 
wanting, but presbiterians & Independents desirous to haue 

251 



252 The Story of The Bronx 

[have] & maintaine them if to be had. There are abt 20 
churches or Meeting places of w"*" aboue [above] halfe 
vacant." 

While the earlier account is before the occupation of the 
mainland to any extent, except at Throgg's Neck, they both 
describe conditions which prevailed during the earlier days of 
the colony. 

The Westchester colony had no minister until 1665, and then 
only for a short time, when the Reverend Mr. Brewster seems 
to have officiated ; but that they had religious services of some 
kind is shown by an extract from the journal of the Dutch 
commissioners who visited Oostdorp in 1656: 

"31 Dec. after dinner, Cornelius van Ru3rven went to the 
house where they held their Sunday meeting, to see their mode 
of worship; as they had, as yet, no preacher. There I found 
a gathering of about fifteen men, and ten or twelve women. 
Mr. Baly said the prayer, after which, one Robert Basset 
read from a printed book a sermon, composed by an Eng- 
lish clergjnnan in England; after the reading, Mr. Baly gave 
out another prayer and sung a psalm, and they all sepa- 
rated." 

Dominie Megapolensis bears similar testimony in a letter 
to Holland in 1657. Like their New England brethren, they 
combined town matters with religious ones; and the town 
records contain references to both equally, the inhabitants 
constituting the congregation, and vice versa. In the records, 
under date of July 29, 1674, appears the name of the Reverend 
Ezekiel Fogge, probably the first Independent, or Congre- 
gational, minister to officiate at Westchester. In 1680, the 
name of Morgan Jones appears as performing the rites of 
baptism and marriage. 



The Churches 253 

At the town-meeting at Westchester, January 2, 1692, it 
was agreed: 

"that there shall be an orthodox minister in the town 
aforesaid, as soon as possible may be; and to allow him forty 
or fifty pounds per annum, equivalent to money, for his 
maintenance. It is also voted and agreed upon, that a man 
shaU go to the Honorable Colonel Heathcote, and see if he can 
prevail with him for to procure us a minister, in his travels 
in New England, otherwise, that Captain William Barnes shall 
go and procure us a minister. " 

September 21, 1693, the Provincial Assembly passed an act 
for settling a ministry; and the county of Westchester was 
divided into two parishes, Westchester and Rye. The former 
included the towns and precincts of Westchester, Eastchester, 
Yonkers, and Pelham Manor, and was required to raise fifty 
pounds per annum for the support of a minister. There was 
also to be "called, inducted and established, a good, sufficient 
Protestant minister"; but so few persons at that time were 
qualified to accept the call of the vestry that it was not until 
May, 1695, that steps were taken to call the Reverend Warham 
Mather, a graduate of Harvard and a member of the famous 
family which gave so many divines to New England. 

That there was a church building at Westchester is evident 
from the description of the town given by the Reverend John 
Miller in 1695. "There is a meeting-house at Westchester, 
and a young man coming to settle there without orders 
[i.e., not a clergyman of the Church of England]. There are 
two or three hundred English and Dissenters, a few Dutch." 
When this meeting-house was built is problematical ; but as on 
May 5, 1696, it had so fallen into decay that the town voted 
to repair it, we may surmise that it might have been perhaps 
twenty years old. On May 3, 1697, "It was voted and agreed 



254 The Story of The Bronx 

upon, that there should be a Town House built, to keep courts 
in, and for the publick worship of God. " 

In 1699, an act of the Provincial Assembly authorized 
the towns of the Province to build and repair meeting-houses, 
and to lay taxes for the same. In view of this act, the idea 
of building a town-house was abandoned, and a new parish 
church was erected in 1700, the expense of building the same 
being laid upon all the inhabitants, irrespective of religious 
belief or faith. It was twenty-eight feet square, with a "fer- 
ret" on top for a bell tower, capping a pyramidal roof, and was 
built of wood by Richard Ward at a cost of forty pounds. It 
occupied the site of the present Episcopal Church of St. 
Peter's, on the Town Green, adjoining the court-house and 
jail. It was used as a church until 1788, when it was in such 
bad order after the Revolution that it was sold to Mrs. Sarah 
Ferris and removed. 

The Reverend Warham Mather served as minister until 
1 70 1, but was never inducted into the living, owing to the 
adverse efforts of Colonel Heathcote, who had been elected a 
church-warden of the parish and who, stout churchman as he 
was, opposed the installation of a dissenting clergyman. In 
his letter of April 10, 1704, to the secretary of the Propagation 
Society, Colonel Heathcote says: 

"Sir, being favor'd with this opportunity, I cannot omitt 
giving you the state of this county in relation to the church, 
and shall begin the history thereof from the time I first came 
amongst them, which was about twelve years ago, when I 
found it the most rude and heathenish country I ever saw in 
my whole life, which called themselves Christians — there 
being not so much as the least marks or footsteps of religion 
of any sort. Sundays being the only time sett apart by them 
for all manner of vain sports and lewd diversions, and they were 
grown to such a degree of rudeness, that it was intolerable; 




The Present Church of St. Peter's, Westchester. 



The Churches 255 

and having then the command of the militia, I sent an order 
to all captains, requiring them to call their men under arms 
and to acquaint them that in case they would not, in every 
town, agree amongst themselves to appoint readers and pass 
the Sabbath in the best manner they could, till such times as 
they could be better provided ; that they should every Sunday 
call their companies under arms, and spend the day in exercise, 
whereupon it was unanimously agreed on thro' the county, 
to make choice of readers ; which they accordingly did, and 
continued in those efforts some time. After which the people 
of Westchester, Eastchester, and a place called Lower Yonkers, 
agreed with one Warren Mather, and the people of Rye with 
one Mr. Woodbridge, both of New England, there being at 
that time scarce six in the whole county who so much as in- 
clined to ye church. After Mr. Mather had been with them 
for some time, Westchester Parish made choice of me for one 
of their church-wardens, in hopes of using my interest with 
Colonel Fletcher to have Mather inducted to ye living. I 
told them it was altogether impossible for me to comply 
with their desire, it being wholly repugnant to the laws of 
England to compell the subject to pay for the maintenance of 
any minister who was not of the national church, and that it 
lay not in any governor's power to help them." 

It will be remembered that Governor Benjamin Fletcher 
had intentionally misconstrued an act of the Assembly and 
had declared the Church of England to be the Established 
Church of the Province. Colonel Heathcote tried to have 
called to the living a French Protestant living in Boston, the 
Reverend Mr. Bondett, who had taken holy orders; but though 
the vestry at first agreed, they afterwards refused to allow of 
his induction. Appeal was then made to London, to the 
Venerable Society for the Propagation of the Faith in Foreign 
Parts, whose province it was to furnish clergymen to the 
colonies of England. 



256 The Story of The Bronx 

In accordance with the request, the Society sent out to 
Westchester the Reverend John Bartow, A.M., who arrived 
in New York in 1 702 ; and who, on the sixth of December of 
the same year, was regularly inducted into the Parish of 
Westchester and Eastchester by the Reverend William Vesey, 
Rector of Trinity Church, New York, and Josiah Hunt, 
church-warden of the parish, acting, under instructions from 
the Bishop of London, and from Lord Combury, the Governor 
of the province. Mr. Bartow thus became the first regular 
rector of the parish, and served as such until his death in 1726, 
at the age of fifty^two. Mr. Bartow was of Huguenot extrac- 
tion, the ancestor of the family having fled to England after 
the Massacre of St. Bartholomew in 1572. The name was 
originally Bertaut, but it became, in time, anglicized into 
Bartow. 

In an account of the state of the Church in the Province 
laid before the clergy at New York, October 5, 1704, we find 
the following summary: 

"Westchester, Mr. Bartow, Rector 

"Here is a church built, but not finished, being neither 
glazed nor ceiled. The parish of Westchester is divided into 
four several districts, viz., Westchester, Eastchester, Yonkers 
and the Manor of Pelham. 

"There is £50 settled on the ministers by act of Assembly. 

"There is twenty acres of land given by Westchester division 
for a glebe. 

"There is one Independent Congregation at Eastchester, 
whose minister designs to leave there, whose congregation 
upon his departure, are resolved to join with the Church. " 

Under date of December 12, 1706, it was ordered by the 
justices, church-wardens, and vestry of the parish to finish 



The Churches 257 

the church at a cost of £17, "in good and current money of 
New York . . . the justices and vestry to find boards, and 
nails and hinges." During the ministry of Mr. Bartow, he 
acquired considerable land in Westchester, and also several 
thousand acres in East New Jersey, in the counties of Mon- 
mouth and Middlesex, which he devised by will to his widow 
and six sons. The careers of the sons and their descendants 
show that the rector was the ancestor of a line of clergymen 
of the Church of England and of the Episcopal Church of 
today. 

Mr. Bartow was succeeded in 1727 by the Reverend Thomas 
Standard, A.M., M.D., a native of Taunton, England. The 
Society had appointed him their missionary at Brookhaven, 
Long Island, in 1725, and assigned him to Westchester at his 
own request, backed by that of those in authority. He was 
rector of the parish over thirty-four years, dying at an advanced 
age in 1760. In 1735, he had a difference with Mr. Forster, 
the schoolmaster, and charges were preferred against him 
by some of his parishioners. The Reverend Mr. Vesey in- 
vestigated the difficulty and reported to the Society; but the 
affair seems to have adjusted itself, for Mr. Standard remained 
as rector. During his incumbency, the church building was 
made more comfortable by putting backs to the pews, and 
£70 were raised for the repair of the church. In the rector's 
report of 1728 to the Society, he states: "I preach one 
Sunday at Eastchester and another at Westchester, twice a 
day, for the summer half year. " 

The Reverend John Milner, a native of New York, was 

installed as "Rector of the Parish Church at Westchester, 

commonly called St. Peter's Church, including the several 

districts of Westchester, Eastchester, Yonkers, and the Manor 

of Pelham, " under orders from Lieutenant-Governor Cadwal- 
17 



258 The Story of The Bronx 

lader Golden, dated June 30, 1761. In his report to the 
Society on October 3, 1761, he says: 

" My mission is of large extent; and I am obliged to attend 
three churches, and till Mr. Houdin came to New Rochelle, 
officiated there once a month. One of my churches is a 
new edifice, raised by the generosity of Colonel Phillips. I 
have baptized forty-three white infants and four adults, 
twelve black children and three adults. My communicants 
are sixteen." 

Later, June 29, 1762, he reports: 

"I constantly attend three churches, in three different town- 
ships, preaching to crowded audiences of devout, well-behaved 
people. They have no dissenters among them except a few 
Quakers. The number of my communicants is increased to 
fifty-three." 

The "new edifice, raised by the generosity of Colonel 
Phillips" was St. John's Church in Yonkers. It was erected 
into a separate cure in 1765, when the Reverend Harry Munro 
was appointed rector; he was succeeded by the Reverend 
Luke Babcock, one of the signers of the White Plains Protest, 
whose death in 1777 was accelerated, so it is said, by the 
ill-treatment and confinement he had undergone at the hands 
of the patriots. 

By royal charter of December 2, 1762, St. Peter's at West- 
chester was incorporated under the title of "The Rector and 
inhabitants of the Borough Town of Westchester, in Com- 
munion of the Church of England, as by law established." 
This gave them the right to sue and be sued, to acquire prop- 
erty, and to lease or otherwise dispose of it, as well as power 
to build and repair, and to conduct their affairs as a body 



The Churches 259 

corporate and politic without regard to the authorities and 
inhabitants of the town. The names of the incorporators were 
Rector John Milner, John Bartow, Isaac Willett, Lewis 
Morris, Jr., Peter De Lancey, Nathaniel Underhill, James 
Graham, and James Van Cortlandt, a Hst which includes the 
most prominent names of the Borough of colonial times. 

Mr. Milner went to considerable expense in 1764 to repair the 
parsonage house and to erect new barns and outhouses upon 
the glebe lands. In addition, the church-wardens notified 
the Society that 

"we have purchased a glebe of thirty acres with a house, 
which, when we have repaid Mr. Milner the expense 
he has been at, will cost us, in the whole, near seven 
hundred pounds, which we spend with cheerfulness, as our 
minister's behaviour has very much endeared him to the 
people ; and his diligence has been attended with such success, 
that whole families of Quakers — the only dissenters in this 
parish — have conformed to the Church. " 

In the fall of 1765, Mr. Milner severed his connection with 
the parish, for what reason does not clearly appear, though 
it was probably due to a difference in money matters between 
him and the vestry, who were slow in paying him the money he 
had expended. In fact, the vestry must have refused to pay 
him at all ; for in his letter to the secretary of the Society from 
^his new cure in Virginia, under date of February 3, 1768, he 
says: 

" I am very sorry to inform you that the people of West- 
chester pay very little regard, either to their promises, or 
the Society's expectations; for I am informed by my lawyer 
that they absolutely refuse to refund me one penny of all 
the money I have expended on their glebe, which, without 
the repairs and buildings I made, would have been entirely 
useless. " 



26o The Story of The Bronx 

The Reverend Samuel Seabury succeeded to the rectorship 
near the end of 1766, after a vacancy of nearly a year. He was 
a native of Groton, Connecticut, a graduate of Yale with the 
degree of A.M., 1748, as well as an A.M. of King's College, 
1 76 1. He was for some time a catechist of the Society, 
and upon being recommended to the cure of New Brunswick 
in East New Jersey, he went to London for holy orders. He 
served at New Brunswick from 1754 to 1757, when he was 
promoted to the living at Jamaica, Long Island. He became 
rector of Westchester, December 3, 1766. He is spoken of 
"as a youth of good genius, unblemished morals, sound prin- 
ciples of religion and one that hath made as good proficiency 
in literature, while in America, as the present state of learning 
there would admit of; and he has gone for his improvement to 
the University of Edinburgh. " 

In a letter to the secretary, dated June 25, 1767, he writes: 

"With regard to the income of this parish, the salary, by an 
act of Assembly is £50 currency. The exchange from N. Y. 
to London being generally from £70 to £80 for £100 sterling. 
Burial fees here, there are none; but the more wealthy families 
sometimes give the minister a scarf, on these occasions. Mar- 
riage fees from one to four Spanish dollars ; but far the greater 
number go to an Independent teacher in the Parish of Rye, 
because the ceremony is short, and they have nothing to say. 
Possibly these fees may amount to £5 or £6 a year. . . . But 
there are many families, especially among the lower classes, 
who do not pretend to be of any religion at all." 

Of his school, of his participation in the discussions pre- 
ceding the Revolution, and of his capture by Sears, accounts 
will be found elsewhere in this volume. Upon his return from 
his captivity in Connecticut, he took up his residence at the 



The Churches 261 

parsonage in fear and trembling, as he was closely watched by 
the authorities. Upon the Declaration of Independence, he 
shut up his church. Upon September i, 1776, after lying 
hidden for some time in the Wilkins house with Dr. Chandler 
of Elizabeth, New Jersey, and Dr. Myles Cooper, President 
of King's College, he, with his companions, took advantage of 
the neck being unguarded and escaped at night to Long Island. 
"Upon finding they had missed him, the rebels vented their 
rage on his church and his property, converting the former 
into an hospital, tearing off the covering and burning the pews ; 
and damaging the latter to the value of three hundred pounds 
currency." 

In his letter of November 12, 1777, he writes: "That 
about a month before, I had visited Westchester, and thought 
of staying the winter there, but was obliged to drop such 
intentions on General Burgoyne's defeat ; as the Rebels upon 
that event came to that town by night and carried off forty- 
two of the inhabitants." He removed from Long Island to 
Staten Island; but finding it "impracticable to return to 
Westchester, or reside on Staten Island," he took up his 
residence in New York in 1778, and lived there until the end 
of the war, acting as chaplain of Colonel Fanning's King's 
American Regiment of Loyalists. 

In 1784, he went to England for consecration as bishop; 
but the English bishops discovered that they could not legally 
consecrate any one for a foreign country who would not take 
the oath of allegiance to the King, which Dr. Seabury, being 
now an American citizen, would not do. The laws of Scotland 
did not contain any such provision, so Dr. Seabury went there 
and was consecrated bishop at Aberdeen. In the summer of 
1785, he returned to America as Bishop of Connecticut and 
Rhode Island, and took up his abode in New London, where he 



262 The Story of The Bronx 

died February 25, 1796, at the advanced age of eighty-six, 
having been the first Bishop of the Church in America, con- 
secrated for the purpose. 

During the Revolution, St. Peter's was closed so far as 
religious services were concerned; though like St. Paul's at 
Eastchester and the Dutch Church at Fordham, it was used 
either as a hospital or a stable by the British, perhaps both. 
No services were held for thirteen years, and the church edifice 
was so dilapidated as to be irreparable. 

On April 6, 1784, the State Legislnture passed "An act 
to enable all religious denominations - r this State to appoint 
trustees, who should be a body corpo ac'i for the purpose of 
taking care of the temporalities of their respective congrega- 
tions, and for other purposes therein mentioned." Under 
the provisions of this act, St. Peter's was incorporated April 
19, 1788, with the following persons as trustees: Lewis Graham, 
Josiah Browne, Thomas Hunt, Israel Underhill, John Bartow, 
Philip I. Livingston, and Samuel Bayard. 

The first record of their meeting is that of May 12, 1788, 
when "it was resolved that the old church be sold to Mrs. 
Sarah Ferris for the sum of ten pounds." A subscription 
paper for funds to build a new chvirch was circulated among 
the people, and an appeal was made to the Propagation Society. 
By 1789, enough funds were in hand or in sight to warrant the 
making of a contract, January 26th, with John Odell, carpen- 
ter, of New York for the erection of a church edifice for the 
sum of £336. The new edifice was built on the site of the old 
one removed by Mrs. Ferris, and was ready for use at the end 
of the year. 

The trustees called the Reverend Theodosius Bartow, a 
grandson of the first rector, for two years from January 2, 
1792. He was to preach every other Sunday; and his services 



The Churches 263 

during the short time of his engagement were very acceptable. 
He was succeeded by the Reverend John Ireland, August 20, 

1794- 

On January 20, 1795, the trustees of the town of West- 
chester released, for the sum of twenty shillings, unto the 
trustees of the Church of St. Peter's 

"all that certain lot, piece and parcel of ground on which the 
Episcopal Church of St. Peter's is erected, and also the Bury- 
ing Ground adjoining the said church, as it is now enclosed 
and fenced, and which has heretofore been used for a Burial 
Place by the inhabitants of said Township, containing about 
one acre, be the same more or less. " 

August 2, 1795, the church was again incorporated under 
the provisions of the act of the Legislature of March 7, 1795, 
for the relief of the Protestant Episcopal Church throughout 
the State. The church-wardens were Isaac Underbill and 
Philip I. Livingston, and the vestrymen, John Bartow, Jr., 
Thomas Bartow, Oliver De Lancey, Warren De Lancey, 
Joseph Brown, Jonathan Fowler, Robert Heaton, and Nicholas 
Bayard. Under this act, the vestry, or a majority of them, 
had full power to call and induct a minister; therefore, at the 
meeting in August, 1795, the Reverend John Ireland was 
inducted into full rectorship by confirming to him the tem- 
poralities of his position. 

Mr. Ireland continued as a successful minister until 1797, 
during which time the chiu^ch edifice was consecrated, Decem- 
ber 9, 1795, by the Right Reverend Samuel Provoost, D.D., 
the first Bishop of the Diocese of New York. Mr. Ireland was 
called to St. Ann's Church, Brooklyn, in 1798; and on the 
seventh of June of the same year, the two congregations of 
St. Peter's, Westchester, and St. Paul's, Eastchester, resolved 



264 The Story of The Bronx 

to unite for the purpose of calling a clergyman. Accordingly, 
on March 9, 1799, the Reverend Isaac Wilkins was elected 
minister of the two congregations. 

Mr. Wilkins was bom in Jamaica in the West Indies in 
1741. He came to New York and entered King's College 
(now Columbia University) in 1756, and was graduated A.B. 
in 1760, receiving his A.M. degree in 1763. He prepared 
himself for holy orders, but did not take them until 1798. He 
married Isabella Morris, the half-sister of Lewis, the manor- 
lord of Morrisania, and settled on Castle Hill Neck,[where his 
house still stands. Mr. Wilkins's family and education gave 
him a considerable position in the town of Westchester, which 
he represented in the Provincial Assembly from 1772 to 1775, 
in the exciting days before the Revolution. As such, he was 
the leader of his party in opposition to the Whigs, and was the 
author of the White Plains Protest. In addition, he is sup- 
posed to have written the loyalist tracts over the signature 
of A. W. F. (A Westchester Farmer), which were ably answered 
by Alexander Hamilton, himself a West Indian and still in 
the early days of his youth. In 1775, Wilkins fled to England ; 
but returned to Long Island, that nursery of loyalists, in 
1776, and resided there until the Peace of 1783, when, with 
many other loyalists, he went to Nova Scotia. During his 
exile there, in 1798, he was ordained deacon, and the following 
year was called to the church at Westchester. Having taken 
priest's orders, the vestry called him to the full rectorship of 
the parish on July 22, 1801, a position he filled until his death, 
February 5, 1830, at the age of eighty-nine. 

On account of his great age, during the last year of his 
ministry, the vestry called to his assistance the Reverend 
William Powell, B.A., who succeeded him as rector, and who 
held the position until his death at the age of sixty, April 



The Churches 265 

29, 1849. Mr. Powell was the fourth minister to die as rector, 
and the third to be buried in the churchyard. 

The vacancy caused by the death of Mr. Powell was filled 
by the election of the Reverend Charles D. Jackson, A.M., 
who had been assistant to the late rector. He became rector 
June 28, 1849. Shortly afterwards, a new parsonage, costing 
six thousand dollars, was erected upon the glebe in place of 
the old one. The wooden church of 1790 was destroyed by 
fire in 1854, ^^^ ^^ the following year, a stone edifice costing 
sixty thousand dollars was erected in its place. The old bell 
presented by Lewis Morris in 1706, which bore upon its lip, 
"LEWIS MORRIS 1677," was destroyed at the same fire. 
Mr. Jackson served until 1871, when he was succeeded by the 
Reverend Christopher Wyatt, D.D., who served until his death 
in 1879. In February of that year, the church edifice was 
destroyed by fire, caused by the candles about the altar ignit- 
ing some of the dry evergreens which still remained from 
the Christmas decorations. The church was rebuilt the same 
year upon the old foundations, but was somewhat increased 
in size, thus becoming the fourth church. 

Dr. Wyatt's successor was the Reverend Joseph H. John- 
ston, A.M., who became rector in 1881, the position having 
been vacant for over a year after Dr. Wyatt's death. Mr. 
Johnston served until 1886, when he resigned to become 
Bishop of Los Angeles, California. He is thus the second 
rector of St. Peter's to have become a Bishop, the first having 
been Rector Seabury. 

In 1887, the present incumbent, the Reverend Frank M. 
Clendenin, D.D., became rector. In 1894, ^ slight fire oc- 
curred in the church from the furnace; and on August 16, 
1899, fire once more destroyed the church edifice, the cause 
being presumably accidental. The present church, the fifth 



266 The Story of The Bronx 

on the same site, was constructed almost immediately on 
the old foundations, but became a more imposing structure 
by the addition of a clerestory. 

All five of the church edifices have occupied approximately 
the same site, which was originally the Town Green. The 
cemetery adjoining the church has been used as a burying- 
ground from the time that the town was under the Dutch 
jurisdiction as Oostdorp. Here, not only do 

"The rude forefathers of the hamlet sleep," 

but also several of the rectors, and many of those whose names 
were famous in early days, members of the families of Ferris, 
Pell, Wilkins, Honeywell, De Lancey, Bayard, Bowne, Living- 
ston, Ludlow, Morris, Hunt, and others. 

The communion service, consisting of a silver chalice and 
paten, was presented to the church by Queen Anne in 1706, 
during the rectorship of Mr. Bartow. In addition, the Queen 
presented a Church Bible, a Book of Homilies, a cloth for the 
pulpit, and a communion table. The communion service 
and several manuscript and printed sermons of the early 
rectors are preserved in the church, probably saved from 
destruction through the exertions of Dr. Seabury at the time 
church services were suspended during the Revolution. 
About a stone's throw to the south of the church edifice is a 
handsome stone building used as a chapel and Sunday-school, 
which was erected about 1880, at a cost of $18,000. It 
occupies the site, very nearly, of the ancient court-house and 
jail, which were destroyed by fire in 1758 

A quarter of a mile south of the church, on Westchester 
Avenue, is the parsonage, or rectory, which was built about 
1850, not far from the site of the old one of 1763. It was 
extensively repaired and enlarged in 1891 at an outlay of 



The Churches 267 

over nine thousand dollars. It occupies a portion of the 
ancient glebe, several acres of which surround it. 

Until 1840, Morrisania was attached to St. Peter's in the 
support of a minister. In that year, Gouvemeur Morris, 
Esq., of Morrisania founded St. Ann's; and on July 17, 1841, 
he made a deed of gift of the church and the plot surrounding 
it to the rector, wardens, and vestrymen of the new Parish of 
St. Ann's, Morrisania. The church was incorporated, July 
20, 1 841, with Robert and Lewis Morris, wardens, and Jacob 
Buckhout, Daniel Deveau, Benjamin Rogers, Benjamin M. 
Brown, Edward Leggett, Lewis G. Morris, and Henry W. 
Morris, vestrymen. The church is at St. Ann's Avenue and 
East 140th Street. Bolton says (1848): 

"The church of St. Ann's is situated in a picturesque posi- 
tion, near Old Morrisania, on rising ground, overlooking a 
clear and rapid little stream [Mill Brook], hastening to join 
the more expanded waters of the East River. It is a pleas- 
ing gothic structure of marble, and comprises a nave with 
two aisles, small recess chancel, and a spire over the southern 
end. It was erected by the present Gouvemeur Morris, Esq., 
in a field on his own estate, which for some time had been 
hallowed as containing the sepulchre of his parents. A vault 
was constructed to receive his remains. A tablet in the chan- 
cel contains the following inscription: 

"the relics of the 
honorable gouverneur morris, 

A name illustrious in his country's annals, were laid by his 
faithful widow. 

"In the year of our Lord 1837, she joined him with the 
dead; and over her remains has arisen this beautiful Sanctuary, 
which in remembrance of her, and with respectful regard to 
two other valued relations of the name, was called St. Ann's 



268 The Story of The Bronx 

Church, from the blessed St. Anne of the Gospel, and con- 
secrated by that name, on the 28th day of June, 1841, by 
Bishop Onderdonk. " , 

The church contains several beautiful stained glass windows 
in memory of various members of the Morris family and their 
connections ; also a brass tablet on the right side of the chancel 
bearing the following inscription: 

"gouverneur morris, 
bom February 9, 18 13, 
died August 20, 1888, 
Founder of this Parish, 

To which he gave church and lands for the glory of God and 
in memory of his mother." 

ST. Ann's historic dead 

Pioneers, Statesmen, Jurists, Soldiers, and Sailors, whose 
remains repose in the vaults of this church. 

Capt. Richard Morris, ob. 1672. 

An officer in Cromwell's army. First Proprietor of 
Morrisania. 

Col. Lewis Morris, ob. 1691. 

An officer in Cromwell's army. Part owner of Morris- 
ania. Member of Governor Dongan's Council.' 

Judge Lewis Morris, ob. May 21, 1746. 

First Lord of the Manor of Morrisania, First native- 
bom Chief Justice of New York. First Governor of 
New Jersey. 

Hon. Lewis Morris, ob. January 3, 1762. 

Member of Colonial Assembly. Judge of the High 
Court of Admiralty. 

Gen. Lewis Morris, ob. January 22, 1798. 

Member of Continental Congress. Signer of the Decla- 



The Churches 269 

ration of Independence. Commander of Westchester 
Militia, Continental Army. 

Hon. Gouverneur Morris, ob. November 6, 1816. 

Member of Provincial and Continental Congresses. One 
of the framers of Federal and New York Constitutions. 
Author of clause in New York Constitution providing 
religious freedom. Washington's Minister Plenipoten- 
tiary to France. Senator of the United States. Pro- 
jector of the Erie Canal. 

Judge Richard Morris, ob. April 11, 1810. 

Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, State of New York. 
Member of both houses of the Legislature. Champion 
of the adoption of the Federal Constitution. 

Capt. William Walton Morris, ob. April 5, 1832. 

Aide-de-camp to General Anthony Wayne. Thanked 
by Congress for gallantry on the battlefield. 

Commodore R. Valentine Morris, U. S. N., ob. May 13, 

1815. 
Veteran of the War of 18 12. Commander of Mediter- 
ranean Squadron, U. S. Navy. 

Lieut.-Col. Lewis Morris, ob. November 24, 1824. 
Aide-de-camp to General Nathanael Greene. 

Judge Robert Hunter Morris, ob. October 23, 1855. 

Member of both branches of New York Legislature. 
Recorder New York City. Postmaster of New York 
City. Justice of the Supreme Court. Mayor of the 
City of New York for three terms. Delegate to Constitu- 
tional Convention of 1846. 

Major Gouverneur Morris, U. S. A., ob. Octoberi8, 1868. 
Veteran of the War with Mexico; promoted for gallant 
and meritorious services at Palo Alto and at Resaca de 
la Palma. 



2/0 The Story of The Bronx 

Major-Gen. William Walton Morris, U. S. A., ob. Decem- 
ber II, 1865. 
Veteran of Florida, Mexican, and Civil Wars; promoted 
for gallant and meritorious services at Palo Alto and 
Resaca de la Palma, and in the Civil War. 

Lewis Morris, ob. Sept. 30, 1863. 

One of the incorporators and Warden of St. Ann's Church. 

GOUVERNEUR MORRIS, ESQ., ob. AugUSt 28, I888. 

Pioneer in railroad building. Founder of St. Ann's 
Church in 1841 in memory of his mother, Ann Carey- 
Randolph of Roanoke, Va. First Supervisor of the 
Town of Morrisania. 

Col. Lewis G, Morris, ob. September 19, 1900. 

Member of the War Committee, Westchester Co. 
1 86 1-5 . Instrumental in organizing 6th New York Heavy 
Artillery. President of New York State Agricultural 
Society. Member of the first vestry of St. Ann's 
Church. 

Col. Richard M. Hoe, ob. June 7, 1886. 

Inventor of the Web Perfecting Printing Press. Vestry- 
man of St. Ann's Church. 

Commander Francis Morris, U. S. N., ob. February 12, 1883. 
Veteran of the Civil War, engaged in both attacks on 
Fort Fisher. Executive Officer of the Tennessee. 

Capt. John Pyne Morris, ob. June 18, 1868. 

Veteran of the Civil War. 165th N. Y. V., a hero of 
Port Hudson. 

Lieut, Gouverneur Morris, ob. February 16, 1897. 

Veteran of the Civil War, officer of Co. H, 6th N. Y. H. A. 

"How sleep the brave who sink to rest 
By all their country's wishes' blest. " 

Collins. 



The Churches 271 

In earlier days, the burial-place of the family was near the 
manor-house, but the remains were all removed to the church, 
February 15, 1866. In the graveyard attached to the church 
are several gravestones, which have been injured and defaced 
by the romping children of this thickly settled neighborhood, 
who made a playground of the church property. There are 
also several vaults, in one of which, that nearest the church on 
the east, lie the remains of the famous Gouvemeur Morris 
and those of a number of the family. The Honorable Gouver- 
neur Morris died November 6, 1816; and by his direction was 
buried in a field on his estate overlooking the Mill Brook, the 
site of St. Ann's and its graveyard. 

St. Paul's, in Washington Avenue near 170th Street, was 
formerly included within St. Ann's parish, and was begun as a 
chapel July 8, 1849. May 31, 1853, it severed its connection 
with the mother church and was organized as a separate parish 
under the title of St. Paul's, Morrisania Village. 

Grace Church, West Farms, was incorporated December 
13, 1844. The credit of first attempting to establish an 
Episcopal church in the village was due to Miss Margaret 
Hunt, daughter of Thomas Hunt, fourth in descent from 
Edward Jessup, one of the original patentees of West Farms. 
The comer-stone of the church was laid November 10, 1846, 
and the edifice was consecrated by Bishop De Lancey of 
Western New York, June 28, 1847. 

The earlier influx of settlers, both to Throgmorton's colony 
and to Westchester, included a great many members of the 
Society of Friends, or Quakers. There were also several 
settlements of Friends on Long Island, and many of them came 
into the county and founded settlements, as in Harrison's 
Purchase, or became inhabitants of those already started. In 
the records of the borough-town of Westchester, and in the 



272 The Story of The Bronx 

reports of the rectors of St. Peter's to the Societj'- for the Pro- 
pagation of the Faith in Foreign Parts, we find constant 
allusions to them. In the account of the election of 1733, 
we have read of the attempt to deprive them of their votes. 

It is stated that the first meeting in America of the Society 
of Friends was held at Westchester. There is also a tradition 
that George Fox, the founder of the sect, preached here as 
early as 1672. 

In the records of Westchester County, at White Plains, 
we find the following: 

" Court of Sessions. June 6 & 7, 1704. Order of Court 

"Present: Col. Heathcot, President of said Ct., 
Joseph Thealle ) 
John Hunt ?• Justices. 

Thomas Pickney ) 

"Petition & Order. 

"Petition by Josiah Hunt and John Harriss, and Hors- 
MAN Mullenox in behalf of People called Quakers Shows 
that in obedience to an Act of Parliament made in the 
first year of King William & Queen Mary, requiring that 
places of meetings of all Protestant Dissenters for their wor- 
ship of God should be certified by the People to the General 
or Quarter Sessions for the aforesaid County [Westchester] 
and prays that in obedience to said Act in Westchester at 
John Harriss, Jr., and in Mamaroneck at Samuel Palmer's, 
to be recorded for places of their meetings for worship of God. 

"Order that petition be recorded and that the meetings of 
the Dissenters Protestants, called Quakers shall be held at 
John Harriss' in Westchester and at Samuel Palmer's 
in Mamaroneck. " 

The headquarters of the Friends, or the place of their Yearly 
and Quarterly Meetings, was at Flushing, Long Island, in 
the early colonial days. The Quarterly meeting of March 



The Churches 273 

20, 1684, recognizes the fact that there had been meetings for 
the worship of God before that year, and decided that " ffriends 
at Yorke Gravesend and flushing & Westchester, ye Kills 
& Newtown doe all belonge unto one Monthly meeting" 
(which was that of Flushing). 

In the year 1707, the Yearly Meeting appointed a committee 
to piirchase a house of Richard Ward in Westchester; and 
they reported at the Quarterly Meeting on June 30, 1707, 
that the same had been bought for a meeting-house. In 
November, 17 16, a Preparative Meeting was established in 
Westchester County for Friends in Rye and Mamaroneck; 
and the borough-town remained a part of this meeting until 
February 14, 1787, when it was set off by itself; it became a 
part of the New York Monthly Meeting August 7, 1836, 
and was laid down, February 29, i860. The Flushing Yearly 
Meeting appointed Monthly Meeting to be held in Westchester 
on the ninth day of the fourth month (April), 1725 ; and in 
the town records of 1723, mention is made of the "Quaker 
meeting-house." 

In his letter of April 14, 1714, Mr. Bartow speaks of the 
father of a child dying of measles as a "half Quaker." The 
Reverend Mr. Standard, under date of November 5, 1729, 
says: "The church at Westchester was built by the Quakers 
(who were the first settlers in this place, and are still the 
most numerous party in and about it ; and indeed the whole 
parish as to their manners, are somewhat Quakerish) and by 
them given to Colonel Heathcote, for the use and service of 
the Church of England." He continues: 

"As to their religion, those who settled in Westchester, 

some were Quakers, those in Eastchester were New England 

Independents. ... In my parish are two meeting-houses, 

one of which is of Quakers, built within a stone's throw of 
18 



274 The Story of The Bronx 

the church, and indeed is a better building than that. . . . 
To the third head of enquiry, I say there are three meeting- 
houses in my parish — one of the Quakers at Westchester, one 
of the Dutch, from it three miles west [Fordham], and one 
of the French at New Rochelle. . . . The Quakers preach 
against hireling priests, and pretend to give nothing to their 
teachers." 

In Mr. Seabury's letter of June 25, 1767, he says: "The 
professed dissenters in this parish are not nimierous; some 
Calvinists or Presbyterian French at New Rochelle; a few 
Presbyterians at Eastchester, and some Quakers; at West- 
chester, a good many Quakers." So that it does not seem 
that, as time passed, there was much decrease in the number 
of Friends. The Revolution played havoc with them, though 
probably not to so great an extent as with other denominations, 
owing to their tenet of non-resistance. That a Quaker can 
break away from his doctrines and take up the sword is 
shown in the case of one of our great Revolutionary generals, 
Nathanael Greene of Rhode Island j and it is likely that many 
of the Westchester Quakers took up arms for King George or 
for the Congress. 

The old Quaker meeting-house formerly stood immediately 
south of the ancient burying-ground. It was probably erected 
before 1700, and was at first used by the Orthodox Friends, 
but later by the Hicksite party. About 1828, the Orthodox 
Friends erected another meeting-house on the opposite side 
of Westchester Avenue. Nothing remains of either except 
the foundations of the older one, they both having been 
destroyed by incendiary fires on the same night in the spring 
of 1893. For several years before their destruction, they had 
been unused ; but the inhabitants of Westchester felt consider- 
able pride in the ancient landmarks. 




Saint Ann's Episcopal Church, Morrisania, Saint Ann's Avenue and East 140th 

Street. 




The Reformed Dutch Churuli on the Kingsbridge Road, Fordham. 



The Churches 275 

Shortly before annexation, a series of incendiary fires oc- 
curred in the town; and barns, stables, and outhouses began 
to burn up with alarming frequency. The incendiaries had a 
regular organization, with president, secretary, etc., and stated 
meetings at which the places to be fired were selected and lots 
drawn as to who should light them. The incendiaries were 
recruited from the tough element of the town, who set the 
fires for the sake of the excitement, and, incidentally, to 
pillage. Among the buildings so fired were the two Quaker 
meeting-houses. A more flagrant and wanton piece of van- 
dalism it is hard to imagine. An attempt was also made to 
fire the Sunday-school building of St. Peter's, and it was 
suspected that the church itself might be a probable subject. 
The gang of firebugs was finally broken up. Whether some of 
them belonged to the volunteer fire company or not, is still 
a question with the respectable inhabitants. 

The Dutch were members of the Established Reformed 
Church. We therefore look to the manor of Fordham, 
principally settled by Dutch from Harlem, for the beginnings 
of the Reformed Dutch Church. 

"Little is known concerning the early history of religion 
in the manor, except that in 1671, 'the inhabitants residing 
between the two Kills of Harlem and the Broncks, ' were 
obliged to contribute towards the support of a minister when 
one should be settled or called to the manor of Fordham" 
(Bolton). 

In 1673, the Dutch recaptured New York, and the inhabi- 
tants of John Archer's village of Fordham immediately pe- 
titioned Governor Colve and his council for relief from the 
exactions of their "land-heer, " or manor-lord. The following 
was granted : 



276 The Story of The Bronx 

"The inhabitants of the village of Fordham are, by a 
majority of votes, to choose a number of six persons of the 
best qualified inhabitants, and only those of the Reformed 
Christian religion, as magistrates of the aforesaid village, 
and to present the aforesaid nominations, by the first oppor- 
tunity, to the Governor-General, from which he shall make the 
election. They are recommended to take care that at least 
half of the nominated are of the Dutch nation. Done in this 
village of New Harlem, 4th of October, 1673. 

Johannes Verveelen, as Schepen and Secretary. " ' 

It will be remembered that after Archer's death, his manor 
became the property of Cornelius Steenwyck, the mortgagee, 
who left it to the Lower Dutch Church of the city of New 
York. This church was formed within the fort at New 
Amsterdam in 1628; its successor is the present Collegiate 
Reformed Church of New York. The Collegiate Church 
organized a society on its property at Fordham in May, 1696, 
and the Reverend John Montaigne was installed as pastor, 
with Henricus Selyns, William Beekman, Johannes Kerbyle, 
Johannes Depeyster, Jacobus Kipp, Isaac de Forrest, and 
Isaac de Reyners as elders and deacons. 

The first church edifice was built in 1706 through the 
liberality of Margaretta Steenwyck, William Dyckman, and 
others; the building stood on the farm of James Valentine, 
later the property of Moses Devoe, at what is now Fordham 
Road and Sedgwick Avenue. At the southeast comer of the 
crossing of these two roads formerly stood the ancient Dutch 
burying-ground; an ancient willow tree, whose girth was over 
twenty feet, stood at the comer of the lot, with the unmark- 
ed, broken, and sunken tombstones behind it. The church 
stood on the opposite side of the Fordham Road, on what 

' Johannes Verveelen, schepen or constable, was the ferryman at the 
Spuyten Duyvil ferry. 



The Churches 277 

is now the property of Webb's Shipbuilding Academy and 
Home. 

The first pastor resigned his charge, and was succeeded by 
the Reverend Henricus Beyse, who, about 1709, also resigned 
his position and became a minister of the Church of England. 
Judge Lewis Morris, writing to the Propagation Society in 
that year, says: 

"I have used some endeavours to persuade the Dutch in my 
neighborhood into a good opinion of the Church of England; 
and have had that success, that they would, I believe, join a 
great part of them in the sacraments and worship — had they 
Dutch Common Prayer books and a minister who understood 
their language. I have taken some pains with one of their 
ministers, one Henricus Beyse, and have prevailed on him 
to accept of Episcopal ordination." 

It seems that the Reverend Mr. Beyse did not have an 
altogether happy time of it after he had changed his mode of 
worship; for, in 17 12, Governor Hunter was petitioned by the 
clergy of the Established Church to do something for the 
relief of the unfortunate gentleman, who not only "suffers 
hardships, having no salary from the people of New Harlem, 
where he officiates," but also is financially neglected by the 
Propagation Society "through some aspersions thrown upon 
him by his adversaries." 

The congregation, no doubt, had considerable difficulty in 
maintaining a pastor during colonial times, as there is no re- 
cord of a fixed pastor between 1709 and 1766; though Dominies 
Dubois, Boel, Ritzema, and De Ronde visited and supplied 
the church. Dominie John Peter Tetard bought his farm at 
Kingsbridge in 1763, and came to live there in 1766, and from 
this time until the Revolution, he occupied the pulpit. At 



278 The Story of The Bronx 

the beginning of the struggle, he joined his former neigh- 
bor Montgomery in the expedition to Canada, serving as a 
chaplain. 

During the war, the church edifice suffered the usual disas- 
ters; and being close to the camp of Emmerick and his chas- 
seurs, probably served as a hospital and stable, like all the 
other churches. At a classis of the Reformed Church held in 
Flatbush on September 2, 1800, it was resolved, 

" that the church in the manor of Fordham, being reduced dur- 
ing the war, and a prospect now opening of its being restored, 
that the Classis encourage and countenance them, by assisting 
and supplying them. Resolved further, that Dr. Livingston 
visit and preach to them as soon as convenient." 

A new church edifice was erected in 1801 near the site of 
the present church on the Kingsbridge Road. In 1802, Dr. 
Livingston reported that he had fulfilled his appointment 
and reorganized the church, and the classis sent the Reverend 
John Jackson to take charge. He was regularly called to the 
church and installed as pastor, and the congregation grew 
apace. His term of service ended in 1835, since which time 
there have been ten pastors, including the present incumbent, 
the Reverend Joseph Merlin Hodson, who has served since 
1894. 

The land upon which the church edifice of 1801 was erected 
was a gift from Dennis Valentine, Senior. In 1848, the 
present church, the third edifice, was erected immediately 
adjoining the second church, on land given by Dennis Valen- 
tine, Junior. In 1878, Horace B. Claflin, Esq., whose property 
lay just north of the church, gave the funds for the enlargement 
of the building. The records of the church and of the con- 
gregation were unfortunately destroyed several years ago by a 



The Churches 279 

fire in the home of one of the members of the congregation, 
in whose custody they were. 

The earliest settlers within the Borough, those coming from 
Connecticut, were variously called Presbyterians, Congrega- 
tionalists, and Independents; they may, for the purposes of 
this article, be grouped under the first name. 

In 1692, at Eastchester, Samuel Casting was chosen "to 
read the bibell and other good sermon-books, and so carion 
[carry on] the sabath days Exercises as according to our 
Honorable Col. Heathcuts order unto us"; for which he was 
to receive a certain compensation to be contributed by the peo- 
ple. The ministers, or readers, who officiated at Westchester 
— Mr. Baly, Mr. Morgan, and Mr. Fogg — were also Dissent- 
ers ; and we have already read how Colonel Heathcote prevented 
the induction of Warham Mather, also a Presbyterian. 

The act of 1693 "to establish a good, sufficient minister" 
in each parish was construed by Governor Fletcher to mean 
a minister of the Church of England, which thus became the 
Established Church of the Province. The ministers at both 
Westchester and Eastchester were turned out, and the churches 
became Episcopalian with the Reverend Mr. Bartow as rector. 
He complained to Lord Cornbury, the Governor, that he had 
some difficulty at Eastchester in superseding the Reverend 
Joseph Morgan in 1702. Mr. Morgan removed from East- 
chester in 1708. 

William Tennant, a Presbyterian clergyman, between the 
years 171 8 and 1721, attempted to evangelize this section, 
and spent several months at Eastchester. In the letters of 
the Westchester rectors to the Propagation Society, there are 
also references to the preaching of Presbyterian and Indepen- 
dent ministers within their cure; and also to the activity of 
some Dissenting preachers, who are called "new lights." 



28o The Story of The Bronx 

Though in other parts of the Province strenuous objections 
were made by the inhabitants to both the Governor and the 
Assembly about being turned out of their churches, the inhabi- 
tants of the two places within the Borough acquiesced silently 
in the change, — except for slight trouble with Mr. Morgan at 
Eastchester — owing to the influence of Colonel Heathcote and 
the moderation of Mr. Bartow; and the edifices became 
Episcopalian and are so to this day. 

That the Established Church was not popular, even at a 
later day, is shown by the proceedings of the Assembly of 
1769; in which Colonel Lewis Morris, representative from the 
borough-town of Westchester, introduced a bill to exempt 
Protestants of all denominations from the support of the 
Episcopal Church ; John Thomas, of the county of Westchester, 
a bill to exempt Protestants from compulsory taxation for the 
support of churches, and Charles De Witt, of Ulster County, 
a bill to exempt the inhabitants of the counties of Westchester 
New York, Queens, and Richmond from the payment of taxes 
for the support of churches to which they did not belong. 
All of these bills passed the Legislature, but failed to become 
laws on account of their rejection by the Governor and his 
council. The Governor further refused to allow the incor- 
poration of Presbyterian churches, even in the city of New 
York, which put the several existing congregations to much 
inconvenience. 

During the colonial period, some of the churches in the 
northern part of the county were comprised within the pres- 
byteries of Connecticut or of Dutchess (Putnam) County ; but 
even thirty years after the Revolution, little or nothing was 
done in the lower part of the county, and it was considered a 
good field for missionary work by the New York Presbytery. 
In 1 814, the Reverend Isaac Lewis divided his time between 




t3 
C 
o 

s 

P4 



The Churches 281 

New Rochelle and West Farms engaged in such work; and in 
the following year, 1815, a church edifice was erected at West 
Farms. Four members organized the church on December 
4, 181 6; and the congregation was fully organized by the elec- 
tion of officers on November 5, 1818. The ancient edifice, 
the oldest in the city belonging to Presbyterians, and its 
churchyard, stand on East i8oth Street, a short distance west 
of the Boston Road and the site of De Lancey's Mills. In 
1903, Charles Bathgate Beck, Esq., left a legacy to the church, 
and a fine stone edifice with an imposing tower was erected 
on the land directly opposite the old church building, which 
was for a time given over to a colored congregation. The new 
church is known as the Beck Memorial Presbyterian Church. 

In 1829, the Presbytery of Bedford included the Presby- 
terian churches of Putnam and Westchester counties; but 
by 1854, the lower county was within the Second New York 
Presbytery. By this date, the section north of the Harlem 
River was making great strides in population, and the Presby- 
tery therefore organized a church at Tremont. 

On the muster roll of the Westchester company commanded 
by Captain Isaac Corsa between May and December, 1755, 
there appear a number of Irish names, which, according to 
Father D. P. O'Neil in his monograph on Catholicism in 
Westchester County, were presumably also the names of 
Catholics. This company accompanied the expedition of Sir 
William Johnson to Lake George, but returned without seeing 
further active service. Later companies that took part in 
the French and Indian War also had Irishmen, or men of 
Irish names, in their ranks; and there is, therefore, strong 
probability that there were Roman Catholics within the 
Borough between 1755 and 1760. 

In the former year occurred the dispersion of the Acadians, 



283 The Story of The Bronx 

so feelingly described in Longfellow's poem of Evangeline. 
These poor unfortunates seem to have been treated with 
the utmost rigor and unkindness in every colony into which 
their wanderings took them; and New York was no different 
from the others. They were called by the colonists "French 
Neutrals." Between May and August, 1756, there is a rec- 
ord of sixteen of them being sent to Eastchester, and of nine 
of them being in the Westchester jail, where they had been 
placed by the authorities for no other crime than that of being 
Acadians. The women and children of the party were thus 
thrown on their own resources and became a burden to the 
town, so that the latter were separated from their parents 
and bound out to service. As the French war was in 
progress at the time, there might have been some excuse 
for their harsh treatment for fear of their giving assistance to 
their countrymen in Canada; and there is no doubt that, in 
the popular mind, these simple peasants were imbued with 
the intent as well as the desire to injure their oppressors. It 
is hard to account for popular delusions, as the Salem witch- 
craft and the vogue of Titus Oates show. The New York 
Mercury of July 11, 1757, contains the following item: "We 
hear that a party of French Neutrals, who had been for some 
time past at or near Westchester, made their escape from that 
place, and were taken up at or near Fort Edward on their 
way to Crown Point." 

These poor wanderers were, of course. Catholics; and it is 
stated that Father Farmer, an alias for Father Steinmeyer, 
passed through Westchester in disguise and visited them in 
their captivity and gave to them the consolations of their 
religion. ' He was a Jesuit priest attached to the Pennsylvania 
and New Jersey missions; and, as the laws were very strict 

' See the author's novel, A Princess and Another. 



The Churches 283 

against these priests and the penalties very severe, he was 
obliged to go in disguise and exercise great caution in minis- 
tering to the people of his faith in and about the city of New 
York before the Revolution. It was not until the year 1784 
that the authorities permitted the unconcealed performance of 
the rites of the Catholic Church. 

On July I, 1 78 1, the French army arrived at Bedford from 
Newport. There were several chaplains with it, the best 
known being the Abbe Robin, who has left some interesting 
records of his impressions of the people and of the country in 
letters sent to France and afterwards published there. On 
July 3, 1 78 1, the French took part in the attack upon Kings- 
bridge, and between that date and August twenty-fifth, the 
Abbe Robin and the other chaplains officiated at services at 
several places within the county, and, perhaps, within the 
Borough ; if so, these would have been the first open exercises 
of the Catholic religion. 

As regards the subsequent history of Catholicism in the 
county, up to the year 1840, the matter is almost entirely 
traditional ; and Father D. P. O'Neil, who has made a thorough 
study of the whole matter, and to whom the author is under 
obligations for the greater part of this subject, could find very 
few facts to go on previous to the above date. The Reverend 
Mr. Bolton, who disliked the Catholic Church and its minis- 
ters, took very few pains to inquire about its history, or else 
antagonized its priests into not giving historic information 
within their knowledge, owing to his antipathetic attitude, at 
the time he was making researches for his comprehensive 
History of Westchester County. As already stated above, the 
laws against the Catholics were very rigorous in the later 
colonial days, and in addition, there was also a strong pre- 
judice, or dislike, on the part of the general population — this 



284 The Story of The Bronx 

has already been suggested in describing the treatment of the 
Acadians. The only Catholics likely to come to the colony 
would be the English-speaking Irish; and they seem to have 
been employed only by the Quakers, whose doctrines taught 
more liberality of thought than did those of the Established 
Church. It is also stated that some of the wealthier inhabi- 
tants had for household servants slaves brought from Louis- 
iana, and, perhaps, from Martinique. This was for the 
purpose of having their children learn the French language, 
as after our own Revolution and the growth of free ideas 
in France, there grew up an admiration of everything 
French. 

In 1784, the first Roman Catholic Church in New York, 
St. Peter's in Barclay Street, was established, and, later, in 
1 81 7, St. Patrick's in Mulberry Street. It is known that the 
Catholics living at the upper end of Manhattan made trips, 
frequently on foot, to attend services at one of these churches ; 
and it is more than likely that the few and scattered Catholics 
living within what is now the Borough did likewise, as late as 
1833. In 1834, the church of St. Paul was established in 
Harlem, and the Catholics of the vicinity looked upon it as a 
great convenience and blessing, as saving a long journey to get 
the comforts of their religion. In 1839, the priests of St. 
Paul's were making monthly trips to the section above the 
Harlem River, which was considered as an out-mission of 
their church. 

As mentioned elsewhere, the first authenticated performance 
of the services of the Church was at Clason's Point, where the 
last rites were administered to Dominick Lynch by Bishop 
Connolly in 1825. In many cases, the desire of a Catholic 
to lie in consecrated ground has led to the establishment of 
graveyards, in which, or near which, a church would afterwards 



The Churches 285 

be established. This may have been the case with some of 
the churches in Westchester County. 

In 1840, St. John's College was established at Fordham, 
and, though the chapel there was for the use of the priests and 
students, worship was permitted to the Catholics of the vi- 
cinity as a chapel of convenience. In 1843, the college came 
under control of the Society of Jesus, whose priests engaged 
in missionary work throughout the county. The same year 
the first church within the Borough, that of St. Raymond, was 
established at Westchester by an Italian priest named Father 
Villanis. The first burial in the adjoining graveyard had 
taken place the year previous. The fine church edifice on the 
site of the original one was dedicated on October 23, 1898. 
In 1844, the first mass was celebrated at Kingsbridge by Father 
O'Reilly; and in 1848 Father McGuire officiated there. 
There is an interesting fact in regard to early worship at Kings- 
bridge, and that is that owing to the lack of proper rooms for 
the use of the different denominations, the services were all 
held in the schoolhouse. Mass would be celebrated in the 
morning, and the Catholic altar would be removed; in the 
afternoon, the Episcopalians would hold their services, and 
in the evening, the Methodists. 

Until about 1840, Catholic communicants had been few 
in ntmiber, ' but about 1837 there began the construction of 
the great public works — the Harlem Railroad, the Hudson 
River Railroad, and the Croton Aqueduct. This brought 
in great ntimbers of Irish, most of whom were Catholics ; and 
so the Catholic population increased very rapidly in the decade 

' A good Catholic desires to be buried in consecrated ground, and we may 
use the number of burials recorded in the Catholic cemetery in New York 
as a criterion to judge of the number of Catholics. Of the number re- 
corded from beyond the Harlem between the years 1813 and 1833, the 
average is just one a year. 



286 The Story of The Bronx 

between 1838 and 1848. In this latter year occurred the 
revolutions in the German states of Europe, followed by the 
immigration of thousands of Germans, who generally settled 
as farmers. Many of these were Catholics; and in 1852, the 
Church of the Immac\ilate Conception was established at 
Melrose Avenue and East 150th Street with a German 
pastor. 

Although George Whitefield, the famous preacher and 
evangelist, preached to the assembled tenants of the Van 
Cortlandts at the manor-house on the Croton River before 
the Revolution, and though the manor-house often entertained 
the eminent preachers of the Methodist faith, such as Asbury 
and Garretson, it does not appear that the new doctrines made 
progress in that part of the county now included within the 
Borough. It is more than likely, however, that the itin- 
erant preachers of the Methodist persuasion, the "circuit- 
riders" of a later day, visited and preached within the 
Borough. 

Mention has already been made of several acts of the 
Legislature of the State in regard to the incorporation of 
churches. Under the act of March 27, 1801, the Methodists 
of Westchester organized a church on March 8, 1808, under 
the name of Zion Methodist Episcopal Church of the town of 
Westchester. There had been, however, a congregation for 
some short time before. The church edifice was erected about 
1818. The church was re-incorporated on October 26, 1826; 
but it does not seem to have flourished, as the church 
corporation was dissolved by reason of non-user. A second re- 
incorporation was effected on February 7, 1833, when the con- 
gregation assembled in the edifice used by them for divine 
worship and resolved that the society in future should be 
called the Methodist Episcopal Church of Zion, in the town of 



The Churches 287 

Westchester. The church edifice is situated on the road leading 
to West Farms (Walker Avenue), and, like so many of the 
older churches, has a small graveyard adjoining. 

As early as 1 826, there was a small congregation of Methodists 
in Kingsbridge who met in a small schoolhouse on the westerly 
side of the Albany Post-road (Broadway) at Mosholu, which 
lies west of the parade-ground at Van Cortlandt Park. On 
February 14, 1835, the society was incorporated as the 
Methodist Episcopal Church Bethel, of the town of Yonkers. 
The same year the congregation erected a church edifice, the 
first to be built within what subsequently became the township 
of Kingsbridge. Since 1875, the congregation has worshipped 
at St. Stephen's Church on the Kingsbridge Road, Manhattan. 
Other Methodist societies were formed at City Island in 1848; 
at Morrisania in 1850; at Tremont in 1853; a German congre- 
gation at Morrisania in the same year ; and at West Farms in 
1858. 

The first Baptist Church to be organized within the Borough 
was the First Church of Morrisania, 1850. Previous to 1858, 
the Pilgrim Baptist Church of New York opened a mission in 
what was called West Farms Hall, where services were held 
on Sundays by the Reverend Theodore Gessler and by a 
business man by the name of Halsey Knapp. Success crowned 
their efforts, and a number of converts was made, who were 
baptized in the Bronx River. In January, 1858, the Baptists 
of West Farms, to the number of twenty-one, formed themselves 
into a distinct church and adopted the name of the Pilgrim 
Baptist Church of West Farms. In November of the same 
year, a lot was purchased on the Boston Road at Bryant Street, 
and the erection of a small church edifice was begun shortly 
afterward; a later edifice still occupies the same site, though 
long unused, having been vacated on account of the noise of 



288 The Story of The Bronx 

passing trolleys and elevated trains. In June, 1859, Mr. 
Halsey Knapp was ordained as pastor of the church. 

This concludes the list of what may be termed the "his- 
toric" churches — those that existed in colonial times or which 
were established in the first half-century after we became a 
nation. So much space is given to the Episcopal Church 
because it was the Established Church of the Province, and 
its records are the fullest of all. 

There are, in round numbers, one hundred and fifty churches 
of various denominations in the Borough. The following 
are some of the pioneer churches of the different sects; the 
Forest Avenue Congregational Church was established in 1851 
at East 1 66th Street; the Second Church of the Disciples of 
Christ was started about 1867 in East 169th Street near 
Franklin Avenue; the Jewish congregation of B'nai David, at 
Third Avenue and 175th Street, was established in 1898; the 
Second Moravian Church was organized in Manhattan in 
1852, but moved to its present location at Wilkins Avenue and 
Jennings Street in October, 1906. With such a large influx 
of Germans, as stated elsewhere, there was early established 
a Lutheran as well as a Roman Catholic Church. These 
Germans made efforts as early as 1852 to found a German 
Lutheran Church; but, though church services were held in a 
hall at 16 1st Street, the congregation separated after a year, 
as no agreement could be reached as to whether the church 
should be situated in Melrose or Morrisania. As a result, two 
churches were established, the earlier one, St. Matthew's Ger- 
man Lutheran Church in East 156th Street, Melrose, and St. 
John's in East 169th Street between Fordham (Third) and Ful- 
ton avenues, Morrisania The first of these was incorporated 
in 1862, and the latter in 1865 ; though both had been organized 
and services held probably five years earlier than these dates. 



CHAPTER XIV 



THE PARKS AND CEMETERIES 



NO history of the Borough would be complete with- 
out an account of the magnificent system of parks 
and parkways which occupy almost one sixth of 
the total area of the Borough. 

The first record we have of anything in the way of a park 
tells of the race-course established in the Mill Brook valley 
by General Staats Long Morris about 1750. Horse-racing 
was a favorite pastime with the provincial gentry, and General 
Morris was one of the first to import blooded horses and to 
breed them. 

South of the ridge upon which Claremont Park is situated 
is a comparatively level stretch of low land through which a 
small brook formerly found its way into Mill Brook. It is 
stated that part of this tract was General Morris's track of 
the eighteenth centiu"y. In 1870, Dater Brothers leased this 
track from the Morris estate for twenty years and made a one 
mile race-track on the property. The first race meeting was 
held on June 8, 1871. Through the failure of the lessees, the 
property and buildings reverted to the Morris estate in 1880. 
It was then leased to the Gentlemen's Driving Association, 
who held possession until the last race meeting on October 8, 
1897. The park was closed on January i, 1898, on account of 
19 289 



290 The Story of The Bronx 

the city authorities cutting streets through it. During its 
existence as a race-track, the property was known as Fleet- 
wood Park, Morrisania. It lay between Webster and Sher- 
man avenues on the east and west, and extended from East 
165th Street to East 167th Street. Fleetwood was devoted 
to the distinctively American sport of trotting. Mr. Robert 
Bonner had his stables not far from the track, and the famous 
"cracks" of a generation ago, Dexter and Maud S. and many 
others did their turns about the Fleetwood track. The old 
park has been cut up into streets and building lots to supply 
the demands of an ever increasing population. 

Soon after the close of the Civil War, in 1866, the Bathgate 
farm was acquired by the Jerome Park Villa Site Improve- 
ment Company, but the American Jockey Club soon became 
the lessee and laid out a track for racing purposes. The prop- 
erty lay in the town of West Farms, in the ancient manor of 
Fordham; and the site is now occupied by the Jerome Park 
distributing reservoir. The track was started by Leonard W. 
Jerome, William R. Travers, S. L. M. Barlow, and others 
for the purpose of lifting American racing from the disrepute 
into which it had fallen on account of the trickery and rowdy- 
ism which had hitherto accompanied it. In this attempt at 
reform, the Jockey Club was eminently successful, as the 
respectability of American racing since that time proves. 

Morris Park race- track was the last one within the Borough. 
On May 19, 1888, Eliza Macomb conveyed 152 acres, between 
Bronxdale and Westchester, to John A. Morris. The northern 
end of the property included a portion of the Bear Swamp, 
whose outlet, Downing's Brook, finds its way into the .Bronx 
River. The Bear Swamp Road and the Westchester and 
Williamsbridge Road constitute the principal boundaries of 
the track. The Westchester Racing Association graded the 



The Parks and Cemeteries 291 

property, built stables and stands, and laid out an oval track 
one and a quarter miles long, with a straightaway track cross- 
ing it, three quarters of a mile long. These are said by experts 
to have been the finest in the country. All the decorations 
of the stands and buildings were in the Pompeiian villa style, 
in carved relief and set off in varied colors. There were stable 
accommodations for more than seven hundred horses. The 
first race meet took place in 1890, and the park was in constant 
use until 1904, when it was closed to racing and divided up into 
lots. In 1908 and 1909, the track was used on several occa- 
sions for exhibitions and tests of aeroplanes and balloons. As 
a race- track it was a great favorite with the betting and racing 
population. The Morrises who were interested in the park 
are not of the old Morrisania family. 

Up to the year 1883, the (old) city of New York ranked 
sixth in the country in the matter of area of land for public 
parks; but in that year a number of public-spirited men, 
with an insight into the future, petitioned the State Legis- 
lature for a commission to select sites for new parks. In 
accordance with the act passed in answer to the petition, a 
committee of seven citizens was appointed by Mayor 
Franklin Edson, which worked so expeditiously that 
their report was ready for the Legislature of 1884, which 
authorized the purchase of the various sites selected. These 
commissioners served without pay, and entirely from public 
spirit. The "New" parks, as they were called, comprised 
3757 acres, now included in Van Cortlandt, Bronx, Pelham 
Bay, Crotona, St. Mary's, and Claremont parks. The con- 
demnation proceedings took some time, so that title did not 
vest in the city until December 12, 1888. Cedar Park, of 
17.47 acres, had been purchased by the city June 4, 1885, 
before the New Parks Act became operative by the completion 



292 The Story of The Bronx 

of the condemnation proceedings. Pelham Bay Park, which 
lies in the Chester district of the Borough, was thus secured 
to the city seven years before the section in which it Hes 
became a part of the city of New York. Since that time, many 
more acres have been added to The Bronx parks for parkways 
and small parks, so that the total number of acres is now 
4142 with an assessed valuation of $56,627,600, divided among 
forty-eight large and small parks and four parkways, the actual 
cost to the city being $14,982,581. 

Franz Sigel, or Cedar Park, as it was originally called, 
though not fully vested in the city until June 4, 1885, was a 
public park in 1880, as the author visited it several times in 
that year, or earlier. It lies between East 153d and 158th 
streets, and between Walton and Mott avenues, overlooking 
the Harlem River and the great freight yards at Melrose. 
Its original name was derived from the nimiber of cedar trees 
which occupy the ridge between the valleys of Cromwell's 
Creek and Mill Brook, upon which the park is located. When 
Washington and Rochambeau made their grand reconnaissance 
in August, 1 78 1, it is stated that they came as far south as the 
commanding outlook of Cedar Park, from which they could 
readily examine through their glasses the town of Harlem 
on the other bank of the river and the British fortifications 
there. The park comprises 17.5 acres. General Franz Sigel, 
a conspicuous leader in the political disturbances in Germany 
in 1848, came to this country in consequence of the failure of 
the movement for popular rights and settled in the West. 
During the Civil War, he did good service for the Union. 
During the latter part of his life, he lived in the Borough, not 
far from Cedar Park. He died in 1902 ; and, in order to pre- 
serve his memory, the Board of Aldermen, in December, 1902, 
changed the name of the park from Cedar to Franz Sigel. 



The Parks and Cemeteries 293 

Of all the Bronx parks, Van Cortlandt, the second in size, 
is the most interesting historically. It comprises 1132.35 
acres, and extends from the city line on the north to West 
240th Street — Van Cortlandt Park South — on the south. 
Its western boundary is Broadway, and its eastern Jerome 
and Mt. Vernon avenues. Both the old and the new Croton 
aqueducts traverse it from north to south ; and it is crossed by 
the main line and the Yonkers branch of the Putnam Railroad. 
The aqueduct now building to bring water from the Catskills 
also traverses the park. Jerome Avenue cuts through its 
northeastern part, and Mosholu Avenue and Gun Hill Road 
cross it from east to west, while Grand Avenue crosses on the 
eastern side as far as the lake. The park lies in the valley 
of Tippett's Brook, which cuts it approximately in half from 
north to south, between the Fordham ridge on the east and 
the Spuyten Duyvil ridge on the west. The greater part of 
the park is still in a state of nature, with swamps, woods, and 
rocky precipitous ridges, or cleared spaces only where former 
occupants cultivated their land. 

The park occupies a portion of the Betts and Tippett tract 
of 1668, almost all of the John Hadden, or Heddy, tract of 
the same date, and portions of the farms acquired from the 
Commissioners of Forfeiture of the Philipseburgh Manor in 
1785 by John Warner and George Hadley. 

In 1699, Jacobus Van Cortlandt, who had married Eva, 
the adopted daughter of Frederick Philipse, bought from 
his father-in-law fifty acres of land on George's Point, and 
added to it about one hundred acres, more that he pur- 
chased from the neighboring landowners. These constituted 
the nucleus of the Van Cortlandt estate. Later proprie- 
tors added more land, until the estate became almost 
manorial in size. The property was entailed until 1825, 



294 The Story of The Bronx 

when entail was prohibited by the Revised Statutes of the 
State. 

Jacobus Van Cortlandt was a distinguished member of 
the community and was Mayor of the City of New York from 
lyioto 1719. About 1700, he dammed Tippett's Brook and 
erected a grist-mill and a saw-mill, which stood until the early 
spring of 1903. His house stood on George's Point, a bend of 
Tippett's Brook, just north of the dam, on the same site as 
that selected by Van der Donck. The damming of the brook 
makes a lake about a mile long which is well-known to New 
Yorkers as Van Cortlandt Lake; the house disappeared before 
the Revolution. 

The mills stood during the troublous times of the Revolu- 
tion, and after the return of peace they continued to be opera- 
ted by the Van Tassels to within the present generation. 
During a heavy thunder-storm in June, 1900, the larger of the 
two mills, the grist-mill, was struck by lightning and was 
destroyed by fire, the electric fluid at the same time passing 
over the wires to the mansion, where but slight damage was 
done. The saw-mill stood in a dilapidated condition, being 
used as a store-house for the tools of the workmen and for the 
"stanes" of the curlers, until the spring of 1903, when it was 
removed by the park authorities, as it was in a tumble-down 
and dangerous condition. Attempts were made to repair it, 
but the under beams were so decayed that the whole building 
threatened to fall upon the workmen. The old mill-stone 
from the grist-mill has been mounted as a sun-dial and has 
been preserved in that way. 

Frederick Van Cortlandt succeeded to the estate of his father 
Jacobus. In 1748, he erected the stone mansion at the lower 
end of the park, now in charge of the Colonial Dames of the 
State of New York as a museum of Colonial and Revolutionary 




Van Cortlandt Mansion in Van Cortlandt Park, 




The Van Cortlandt Park, the Dam and Mill. 



The Parks and Cemeteries 295 

relics. These ladies have gathered together a most interest- 
ing collection of Dutch and Colonial household furniture and 
utensils, as well as of ancient arms and documents. An old 
four-post bedstead with steps to reach the lofty mattress is 
authenticated as having been slept in by Washington. The 
mansion is very frequently and wrongly referred to as the 
manor-house; but this is a great mistake, as the only Van 
Cortlandt manor-house is that near the mouth of the Croton 
River. 

To the east of the mansion is a barred window with its 
stone framing, taken from the Cuyler-Rhinelander sugar- 
house, which formerly stood at the comer of Rose and Duane 
streets, in which, so it is alleged, so many of the imprisoned 
Americans met sickness and death during the Revolution. 
The window was dedicated with appropriate ceremonies on 
May 26, 1903. On each side of the entrance to the mansion 
lies an old gun in the grass; these were among those dug up 
at the site of Fort Independence when Mr. Giles built his 
house there; they were probably used by both Americans 
and English. 

Frederick Van Cortlandt died in 1749 and was succeeded 
by his son Jacobus, or, as he is better known, Colonel James 
Van Cortlandt. Like so many of the colonists, he was with 
the movement for redress of grievances from King and Parlia- 
ment; but when it came to the question of independence, his 
loyalty to the crown prevented him from going further with 
the patriots, though he does not appear to have been a very 
active loyalist. He was a man of kindly heart and was well 
esteemed by his neighbors. It was no unusual thing for him 
to mount his horse and take the long ride into the city to 
intercede with the British authorities for some unfortunate 
neighbor whose property had fallen into their hands, or to 



296 The Story of The Bronx 

attempt to better the condition of those who were so unhappy 
as to be held prisoners. During his occupancy, the mansion 
was known as "Lower Cortlandt's" to distinguish it from the 
farm of Frederick Van Cortlandt at Mosholu, west of Broad- 
way, which was called "Upper Cortlandt's," and, sometimes, 
"Cortlandt's white house." 

Colonel James Van Cortlandt died childless in 178 1, and the 
property passed to his brother Augustus, who died in 1823 
without male issue. The estate then went into the female line, 
and the name of Van Cortlandt was legally asstmied by their 
descendants. 

Over the windows of the old mansion are inserted in the 
way of keystones, or corbels, carved faces, some of which are 
childish, but many of which are fiendish in their grinning and 
grimacing ugliness. They have seen many and curious 
sights. Over the Albany Post-road, directly in front of the 
house, has passed the great manor-lord or gentleman of 
estate with his out-riders and his grand coach and four, on 
his way, perchance, to visit the great Colonel Philipse at his 
manor-house at Yonkers, or to take part in the deUberations 
of the Provincial Assembly, and stopping here for a bed and a 
sup. They have seen the Westchester farmers driving their 
cattle to market in New York, and have heard them grumbling 
at the payment of tolls at the King's bridge to swell the already 
bursting coffers of Colonel Philipse; or later, have heard the 
glee and satisfaction of the same farmers at the completion of 
the free bridge. 

Here comes a gay and gallant company of ladies and gentle- 
men, decked out in their fine clothes, the former wearing masks 
to protect their delicate complexions from the rude air, and 
the latter tapping their snuff-boxes as they utter some bon- 
mot or exaggerated piece of gallantry to their fair compan- 



The Parks and Cemeteries 297 

ions. What care they if the roads be rough and the coaches 
jolting, or that the ladies are riding on pillions? Are they not 
on their way to the wedding of lovely Mary Phihpse and 
Colonel Roger Morris? 

Along the road comes the Yankee peddler with his pack, not 
only of notions, but of news; and he looks about him curiously 
as he asks some negro slave or redemptioner his way to the 
back door. And the faces look at him with equal curiosity — 
he is so different from the stolid Dutch farmer or sturdy Eng- 
lish yeoman they are accustomed to see. And then the 
travellers increase in numbers; they seem to be in some sort 
of order, though they are clothed in homespun and no two are 
armed alike. Across the meadows to the distant ridges the 
heads stretch their ears to catch the sound of the spade and 
the mattock. Then, most woeful sight, they see the ranks of 
tattered, shoeless, and dispirited men as they march sullenly 
by from Long Island, Harlem Heights, and the forts below 
on their way to Philipseburgh or White Plains. And during 
these months, they have seen the noblest figure that has ever 
passed before them, the great American leader, with Heath 
and Lincoln and the rest of the gallant leaders of that dis- 
heartened host. And then comes Charles Lee — is it any 
wonder that some of the faces have assumed a sardonic expres- 
sion that all the pleasant sights of more than a centiiry have 
been unable to change? 

Beneath the trees which they have seen grow from saplings, 
gathers another multitude of men, with the red coat of the 
British soldier, the tartan of the Scot, the green coat of the 
German yager, the chasseurs of Emmerick, or the rangers of 
Simcoe; and as Sunday comes around, they have heard the 
British chaplain — our old friend Samuel Seabury, perhaps — 
ask divine grace upon all in authority, "and especially upon thy 



298 The Story of The Bronx 

servant, George the Third, King of Great Britain, Ireland, and 
France, and Defender of the Faith. ' ' On some dark night, when 
their eyes could scarcely pierce the gloom, their ears have been 
saluted by the sounds of passing horsemen ; and as they caught 
the low-spoken words, they knew that De Armond and his 
gallant Frenchmen were on an errand to the British camp; 
later, they hear the clash of steel, the scattering shots of the 
musketry, and the thunder of the horses' hoofs upon the dam, 
and know that the Frenchman has drawn the enemy from his 
camp. 

For five long years they looked for that noble figure, which, 
once seen, could never be forgotten; and then he came, and 
by his side the noble Rochambeau. Before their eyes passed 
the veteran troops of Lincoln and the soldiers of France with 
the standard of the lilies unfurling its silken folds to the soft, 
caressing, American air. They saw the grand reconnaissance; 
and at its end they saw the great commander, surrounded by 
his tried companions-in-arms and by the best and noblest sons 
of France, pass within the door. 

Their eyes were tired with watching the turmoil of war, 
their ears with hearing its din. Before them passed the gal- 
lant prince who later was to be Britain's "Sailor King," 
and with him the humane Carleton. For two years more 
they watched for the return of the Chief, and turned their 
sight and hearing toward the post-road. At last, their vigil 
was ended; for in the distance came the roll of drums, the 
shriek of fifes, and the steady tramp of armed men; and their 
eyes gazed restfully upon the men in blue and buflf, at their 
head the immortal Washington, with Henry Knox and George 
Clinton on either side. Once more they saw a distinguished 
group pass through the door; and could their hearing have 
pierced the walls of stone, they would have heard the great 



The Parks and Cemeteries 299 

man drinking the health of the ladies of the mansion. The 
march is resumed ; and from the joyous remarks of the soldiers, 
the heads learn that no more will they see the British red coat 
or the Highland plaid, or hear the guttural accents of the 
German — for peace has come. 

For two years they rested; then their wondering eyes 
opened to see the first lumbering coach go by on its way to 
Albany. A score of years later, they fell asleep; for men 
had changed the way of the ancient road and came no more in 
front of the old mansion. Again they heard the martial 
sounds of war as men marched by for the defence of New York 
from 1812 to 1815; but this time their eyes are spared the 
sight of carnage — that is on the sea. 

Once more the long "piping times of peace." The old 
mansion has new owners; the great city needed a pleasure 
ground for its people; and the heads gaze upon crowds and 
crowds of people gathered here each week to listen to the 
strains of music wafted through the shady trees. Their 
eyes had seen the heavy, lumbering, swaying coaches of by- 
gone days; no wonder their mouths spread wider when they 
gazed upon the light, silent steeds of the wheelmen who come 
in thousands, or upon four-in-hand coaches with their tooting 
horns and exquisite drivers, many of whose ancestors they 
had seen in cocked hats, knee-breeches, and silver buckles. 
Now their mouths are frozen wide; they have no more mind 
for wonder; for they have seen the rushing, crushing, noisy, 
rattling automobile with its load of passengers more masked 
and disguised than were the highwaymen of Hampstead 
Heath. 

A fairer sight now meets their eyes, a sight with which, it 
is said, they were once familiar — a veritable Dutch garden, 
which the park gardener laid out during 1902 and 1903 below 



300 The Story of The Bronx 

the bluff on which the house stands, and which was opened to 
the public on Memorial Day of the latter year. It has Dutch 
trees, and Dutch walks, and Dutch flowers, and, above all, 
Dutch canals, which are supplied by the water from Tippett's 
Brook. Let us leave the heads to their remembrances and go 
where they cannot see or hear. 

The shady lane of locust trees leads to the station of the 
Putnam Railroad. Just north of the station is Van Cortlandt 
Lake and the dam and site of the ancient mills. In the winter 
time, this end of the lake near the dam is given over to the 
famous Scotch sport of curling, the rest of the lake being re- 
served for skaters. To the east of the station and the lake is 
an eighteen-hole golf course free to the public. A commodi- 
ous shelter-house has been erected for the use of the golfers 
and skaters, and in the summer time boats may be procured 
for use on the lake. There are also several tennis courts to 
the west of the mansion, and the parade ground is "common" 
at all times to those who play base-ball. 

Directly back of the mansion is the statue of General Josiah 
Porter, for many years adjutant-general of the State. The 
statue was unveiled with appropriate ceremonies in September, 
1902. It faces the great level plain of the parade ground, the 
largest drill ground in the State, comprising one hundred and 
fifty acres, a part of which was Van der Donck's "planting 
field. " The park authorities did not have much filling in or 
grading to do in getting it ready for drill purposes. Upon 
several occasions, two brigades have held sham battles and 
reviews, and it has been used frequently for camping out by 
the city batteries and mounted troops. There are also three 
polo fields, opened since 1901, which have become immensely 
popular, thousands of visitors witnessing the games between 
the various contestants. There is also a practice groimd for 




Curling on the Lake in Van Cortlandt Park. 




Vault Hill, the Ancient Burial-place of the Van Cortlandt Family, Van Cortlandt 

Park. 




e*!^-: 



Devoe's Lane, Leading to Yonkers and Tuckahoe (1907). Indian Field to the 

Left of the road. 




The Monument on Indian Field, Van Cortlandt Park. 



The Parks and Cemeteries 301 

beginners at golf, who can plow up "divits" and fuzzle to 
their heart's content without delaying or interfering with the 
more experienced players on the regular links. 

In the southeast corner of the field, not far from the lake, 
is a group of several locust trees. This spot is supposed to 
have been the site of Van der Donck's farmhouse, if he had 
any, and was the site of the house of the original Van Cort- 
landt. In grading the surface of the field here in the spring 
of 1903, the foundations of the old house were uncovered and 
also numerous pieces of broken Dutch pottery — jugs, wine 
bottles,- and the like. The site is between the dam and the 
group of trees, about one hundred and fifty feet from the 
former. The spot has been used as a graveyard for many 
years, and here are buried several members of the Ackerman 
and Berrien families, descendants of Betts and Tippett and 
connections of the Van Cortlandts. Upon a visit made to 
the spot by the author in the fall of 1902, he found the tomb- 
stones much defaced, with many fresh wounds, made appar- 
ently within a few days before his visit. That very week one 
of the cavalry squadrons or batteries of artillery had camped 
here in the park, and the signs were unmistakable that their 
stable tent had occupied this spot, or that they had used the 
trees and tombstones for tethering their horses, and had either 
carelessly or wantonly injured the monuments. Some of 
these stones have dates before 1800. The spot has since been 
fenced in for protection from such vandalism and desecration. 

At the northern edge of the parade ground is Vault Hill, 
which rises 149 feet above sea-level. It gets its name from the 
ancient burial vaults of the Van Cortlandt family which are 
situated near its summit. Within the walled enclosure are 
two grass-covered mounds within which are the stone vaults 
containing the remains of various members and connections 



302 The Story of The Bronx 

of the family. The views from the top of the hill are fine, and 
one would think that the mansion would have been erected 
here instead of on the plain, but perhaps it was more in 
keeping with Dutch taste to be on the low land. 

In August, 1776, after the Battle of Long Island, the authori- 
ties of New York became alarmed for the safety of the city 
records, and the Committee of Safety ordered Augustus Van 
Cortlandt, the town clerk, to remove them to a place of safe- 
keeping. They were, therefore, carried from Harlem and 
hidden in the family vault upon this hill. Their hiding-place 
became known to the British later, and they were returned to 
the city. When Washington decided to attack Cornwallis 
at Yorktown, it was necessary for him to deceive Clinton at 
New York and prevent the sending of reinforcements to the 
entrapped Cornwallis. The grand reconnaissance of the allied 
armies in the summer of 1781 led Sir Henry Clinton to believe 
that New York was to be attacked ; and bogus dispatches were 
also arranged so as to fall into his hands and increase his 
belief. When the allies withdrew from this neighborhood, 
Clinton was unaware of the fact, because Washington caused 
deceptive camp-fires to be kept burning on Vault Hill for 
several days, in order that he might have time to cross the 
Hudson and be well on his way before Clinton should find out 
that he had been fooled. 

The hill is enclosed by a high wire fence, and is called the 
' ' wild animal enclosure. ' ' About 1 895, a number of bison were 
furnished to the park authorities by the late Austin Corbin, and 
placed within the enclosure ; but the land was not adapted to 
their maintenance, as it was too wet and boggy near the brook. 
Several of the animals died and the rest became so ill and run 
down that the remnant of the herd was returned to the wild 
animal park of Mr. Corbin near Claremont, New Hampshire. 



The Parks and Cemeteries 303 

The park roads from the Fordham ridge are very steep. 
There are several natural springs along the ridge and guide- 
posts direct to them. The woods in the upper part of the park 
are open to all visitors, and parties of botanists and children 
come here for wild flowers, which, if care is not taken, will, 
in a few years, be "conspicuous by their absence"; as the 
careless and wanton picking of flowers wiU prevent them from 
going to seed and thus reproducing the species. 

In the northeastern part of the park is "Indian Field," 
where Simcoe defeated the Stockbridge Indians, and where 
eighteen of them are buried, almost where they fell. . At the 
suggestion of the writer, a cairn of rough boulders, somewhat 
similar to that at Stockbridge, Massachusetts, was erected 
in 1906, through the courtesy and co-operation of George W. 
Walgrove, at that time Commissioner of Parks for The Bronx. 
It bears the following inscription on a bronze tablet: 

"AUGUST 31, 1778. 

UPON THIS FIELD 

CHIEF NIMHAM 

AND SEVENTEEN STOCKBRIDGE INDIANS, 

AS ALLIES OF THE PATRIOTS, 

GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR LIBERTY. 



ERECTED BY BRONX CHAPTER, 

DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION 

MOUNT VERNON, NEW YORK. 

JUNE 14, 1906." 

June 14 is "Flag Day," and the monument was dedicated 
with appropriate ceremonies. Since then, a flag-pole has 
been erected, the rough ground cleared up, and many park 
benches placed by the park authorities; and the spot has 
become a popular meeting-place for the people of the neigh- 



304 The Story of The Bronx 

borhood for patriotic celebrations. The lane leading to De 
Voe's is still used to get to Yonkers ; but the bridge over which 
the remnant of Nimham's band fled across Tippett's Brook 
has disappeared, and its site is doubtful. 

Van Cortlandt Park is connected with Bronx Park, which 
lies almost south of it, by a fine parkway six hundred feet wide 
and one and fourteen hundredths miles long, called the 
Mosholu Parkway. Bronx Park is about two miles long and 
contains 719.12 acres, lying between Morris Street in Williams- 
bridge on the north; the Harlem Railroad, Fordham Univer- 
sity, and the Southern Boulevard on the west; East i82d 
Street on the south; and the White Plains Road, or Avenue, 
for a long distance on the east. The Bronx River runs through 
the park from north to south and divides the park nearly into 
halves. Pelham Avenue, a continuation of the Fordham 
Road, crosses the park from west to east, where it is continued 
in The Bronx and Pelham Bay Parkway. The Coles Boston 
Post-road passes through the southeastern part of the park 
and along the western bank of the river, crossing it at the 
site of Bronxdale. 

The park is most appropriately named ; for nowhere else does 
one see to such good advantage the fine yet simple beauty of 
the Bronx River. After passing under Williams's bridge 
the stream wanders through the meadows in the northern 
part of the park as if reluctant to pursue once more the rapid 
rush of its up-stream course. Then it enters the narrow gorge 
in the vicinity of the Lorillard mansion and rushes through 
to reach the gentle, placid lakes below. It is in this part 
of the park that we can understand the reason for the 
Indian name of the river, the Aguahung, "a high bluff, or 
bank." 
As Drake sings: 




The Bridge, Bronx Park. 




The Lorillard Mansion in Bronx Park. 




The Old Lorillard Snuff-mill, Bronx Park. 




The Falls in Bronx Park. 



The Parks and Cemeteries 305 

"There were the dark cedars, with loose mossy tresses, 
White-powder'd dog trees, and stiff hollies flaunting, 
Gaudy as rustics in their May-day dresses, 

Blue pellorets from purple leaves upslanting 
A modest gaze, like eyes of a young maiden 
Shining beneath dropped lids the evening of her wedding. " 

Nature has furnished an ideal beauty spot; may man's 
improving hand long be kept from interference! Well might 
Drake exclaim: 

" O ! 't was a ravishing spot, form'd for a poet's dwelling. " 

The lower portion of the stream spreads out into two lakes 
formed by dams, the post-road crossing between them where 
Bolton's bleacheries formerly stood at Bronxdale. About 
the middle of the lower lake is where the patent and manor 
lines of Fordham, West Farms, and Westchester formed a 
corner. Through the heavy masses of woods the patriots 
hid, or found their way for their stealthy attacks upon De 
Lancey's Mills, just below, with the hope of capturing the arch 
loyalist and troublesome raider, James De Lancey, in his 
visits to his aged mother, who was brave enough to occupy 
the mansion in the Neutral Ground during the troublous 
times of the Revolution. 

The De Lancey mansion stood on the east bank of the stream 
on a small plateau, which seems to have been partially arti- 
ficial. It overlooked the stream and the mills on the opposite 
bank ; just south of the house was the Kingsbridge Road 
continued east to Westchester, crossing the stream by a ford, 
and in later times by a bridge ; above is the mill-dam, whose 
falling water gives out a gentle murmiu* which must have 
served as a lullaby to the occupants of the mansion. Between 
the site of the house and the stream stands an immense pine 



3o6 The Story of The Bronx 

tree whose girth is about twelve feet. Some gentleman who 
visited the spot seventy years ago was moved to write the 
following lines: 

"Where gentle Bronx clear winding flows 

The shadowy banks between, 
Where blossomed bell or wilding rose 

Adorns the brightest green; 
Memorial of the fallen great, 

The rich and honored line, 
Stands high in solitary state, 

De Lancey's ancient pine. 



"There once at early dawn arrayed 

The rural sport to lead, 
The gallant master of the glade, 

Bedecked his eager steed. 
And once the lightfoot maiden came 

In loveliness divine, 
To sculptor with the dearest name, 

De Lancey's ancient pine. 

"But now the stranger's foot explores 

De Lancey's wide domain, 
And scarce one kindred heart restores 

His memory to the plain ; 
And just like one in age alone. 

The last of all his line 
Bends sadly where the waters moan, 

De Lancey's ancient pine. 

"O! victim of misguided zeal! 
To tell thy former fame 
Who bids the fretted stone reveal 
The numbers of thy name? 




The Lower Dam, and the Site of De Lancey's Mills, Bronx Park. 




The Botanical Museum, Bronx Park. 



The Parks and Cemeteries 307 

Ere brightening up the eastern sky. 

Another mom shall shine, 
In equalizing dust may lie 

De Lancey's ancient pine. 

"Wo! ho! the satiate traveller stays 
Where eve's calm glories shine, 
To weep, as tells of other days 
• De Lancey's ancient pine. " 

The portion of the park north of Bolton's bleachery formerly 
belonged to Pierre Lorillard, who was of French extraction 
and who obtained possession of the property in the early part 
of the last century. In the gorge of the river the stream was 
dammed, and a snuff-mill was erected about 1840-45. The 
old mill is said to be haunted, on what authority the author 
knows not. On the high bluff above the dam, Mr. Lorillard 
erected a great stone mansion, which, after this became public 
property, was for a long time used as a police station, but out 
of which the guardians of the park at last succeeded in ousting 
the guardians of the peace. The bridge which crosses the 
stream below the house is a favorite point with visitors, as the 
view is so charming. Just south of the house is a garden in 
which old-fashioned flowers run riot — hollyhocks, sweet- 
williams, marigolds, roses, and what not. The Lorillards 
were careful to preserve the natural beauties of the region, 
and it is to this carefulness we owe the magnificent trees that 
are still standing. Under their shade, in the summer time, 
the band discourses music to the delight of thousands. The 
presence of so many fine trees led to the setting apart of two 
hundred and fifty acres in the upper part of the park as a 
botanical garden, under the care and protection of a society 
formed for the purpose. In this way an arboretum has been 



3o8 The Story of The Bronx 

preserved, the standing trees have been accurately marked 
and named for the amateur or scientific arboricidturist, and 
nurseries have been estabHshed for the propagation and rearing 
of all kinds of trees that will stand the vagaries of the New 
York climate. In addition, there is a fine botanical museum 
completed in the spring of 1902, at a cost of $400,000, and a 
great series of conservatories, fifteen in number, in which one 
will find all kinds of tropical trees and plants. These, also, 
were completed early in 1902 and are at all times free to the 
public. 

The southeastern section of the park, bordering on the 
Boston Post-road and the river and south of Pelham Avenue, 
comprises 261 acres and is in charge of the Zoological Society. 
The fine collection of birds and beasts is open free to the public, 
except on Mondays and Wednesdays, when a charge of twenty- 
five cents is made. There are about sixty buildings, cages, 
and ranges; and the visitor is able to see several specimens of 
the American bison, which once swept over our plains in 
countless thousands, and which, before the advent of the white 
man, extended their feeding grounds east of the AUeghanies. 
An attempt has also been made to show the beaver at work, 
an animal that once occupied our Westchester streams. The 
favorite object of attention is the bear pit, and the antics 
of these animals always interest a crowd of gazers, among 
whom the children are the most delighted. The "rocking- 
stone" is an immense boulder weighing several tons, left here 
by some melting glacier, whose course is plainly marked by 
the scratches on the exposed rock surfaces. The boulder is 
so nicely balanced that a slight force will set it rocking. 

The intention of the Zoological Society is not only to furnish 
an exhibition of animals to the public, but also to afford oppor- 
tunities for a study of their habits, forms, and peculiarities 



The Parks and Cemeteries 309 

to those interested in nature study. It is their intention to 
erect at some time in the future a building especially designed 
for the use of artists and sculptors where studies can be made 
from the live model. The cage will be thoroughly and prop- 
erly lighted, and platforms arranged for the accommodation 
of twenty artists. It is hoped that with such facilities there 
will develop a school of American animal painters and sculp- 
tors second to none in the world. 

Pelham Avenue develops into the Bronx and Pelham Bay 
Parkway, a fine thoroughfare four hundred feet wide and two 
and a quarter miles long, connecting Bronx Park with Pelham 
Bay Park. For almost its whole length it is paralleled by an 
asphalt brick roadway, opened in 191 1 and restricted to 
automobiles. 

Pelham Bay Park is the largest park in the city, including 
within its boundaries 1756 acres, over twice as many as 
Central Park. It has over seven miles of water front on the 
Sound and Pelham Bay, from which latter it takes its name. 
It was acquired by the (old) city of New York in 1888, seven 
years before the annexation of Westchester and Pelham, in 
which former ancient townships it lies; it also includes Hunter 
Island and the Twin islands adjoining. 

The Hutchinson River and Eastchester Bay divide the 
park into two parts, the more northerly, Pelham Neck (the 
ancient Annes Hoeck) and Rodman's Neck being very much 
the larger. The northern boundary of this part is the city 
line ; the eastern, the Sound ; the western, the Hutchinson River. 
The smaller section south of Pelham Bridge is rather irregular 
in shape, lying between Furmen's Lane and the three hamlets 
of Baychester, Stinardtown, and Middletown. 

The Eastern Boulevard passes through the park from south 
to north, changing its name to the Pelham Bridge, or more 



3IO The Story of The Bronx 

popularly, the Shore Road, after it crosses the bridge near the 
mouth of Hutchinson's River. The Suburban branch of the 
New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad traverses 
the park from north to south, having stations at Baychester, 
on the edge of the park, and at Bartow, within it. From this 
latter, the City Island Road leads east to the end of Rodman's 
Neck and over the bridge to City Island. Connecting Bartow 
with the village of Pelham Manor, at the northwest corner 
of the park, is the Prospect Hill Road, better known as the 
"Split Rock" Road. 

This whole section consisted of farms and estates bordering 
on the Sound and belonging to the old families and their 
descendants — Drake, Pell, Furmen, Morris, Bartow, Hunter, 
Schuyler, Spencer, Rodman, Marshall, are among the names 
we find as owners; and a good deal of the property had been 
in the families since colonial days. Many of the old mansions 
erected subsequent to 1840 still remain and are rented by the 
Park Department; several are used as restuarants and road- 
houses, and several of them as tenements for laborers and 
employees of the park. The occupants of these mansions in 
the days that are past formed a true country aristocracy, not 
only of birth and wealth, but of education, culture, and refine- 
ment. Some of the oldest houses were removed in 1902 and 
the park commissioner utilized the materials in the erection 
of forty-two free bath-houses along the shore south of the 
bridge. These were so well patronized that the department 
has constructed more. In February, 1903, a number of the 
older remaining houses were sold at auction with the proviso 
that they should be removed within thirty days. 

When Howe occupied Throgg's Neck in October, 1776, he 
attempted to cross Westchester Creek both at Westchester 
town and at the head of the creek, about where the Bronx 




Bowne House Erected 1730 on Site of Pell's Manor-house; near here the British 
Landed on October 18, 1776— Pelham Bay Park. 



'ea?* ^ *3L«^»'^^ j^ sffliiv.A)*" 



'" "* ■ ^*^Y, '■• -jt^' 




Memorial Tablet on Glover's Rock, Pelham Bay Park. 




The " Split Rock " Boulder on the Prospect Hill Road, Pelham Bay Park. 




The Tree under which Pell Made his Treaty with the Indians and Purchased their | 
Lands (now destroyed) — Pelham Bay Park. i 



The Parks and Cemeteries 311 

and Pelham Bay Parkway crosses the Westchester meadows. 
Hand's Riflemen constituted the outposts at both places and 
successfully resisted the British attemxpts, being supported 
at the head of the creek by Colonel Graham with a regiment 
of Westchester County militia and by Captain Jackson with a 
six-pounder, Howe, having failed in these attempts to get 
across the creek on Washington's flank, was obliged to cross 
from Throgg's Neck to Rodman's Neck in boats, landing 
near the Bowne house' and marching toward what is now 
Bartow station. It was here that he came in contact with 
Colonel Glover, whom he succeeded in driving back, but with 
heavy losses to himself. A tablet bearing the following in- 
scription has been affixed to the large boulder at the point 
where the battle began: 

GLOVER'S ROCK 

IN MEMORY OF THE 550 PATRIOTS 

WHO, LED BY COL. JOHN GLOVER, HELD 

GEN. HOWE'S ARMY IN CHECK AT THE 

BATTLE OF PELL'S POINT 

OCTOBER 18, 1776, 

THUS AIDING WASHINGTON IN HIS 

RETREAT TO WHITE PLAINS. 

FAME IS THE PERFUME OF HEROIC DEEDS. 



ERECTED BY BRONX CHAPTER OF MOUNT VERNON, 

N. Y. 

DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION 

OCTOBER 18, 1901. 

Glover's retreat was by way of the "Split Rock" Road. 

' The Bowne house was occupied for several years by the Morris Yacht 
Club, but was destroyed by fire in February, 1904. 



312 The Story of The Bronx 

This gets its name from a remarkable boulder which lies 
alongside the road not far from the city line. A tree grows out 
of the split in such a way as to give the observer the idea that 
the tree is the cause of the separation of the two parts of the 
rock. The road is one of the most beautiful in the neighbor- 
hood, and is a favorite with drivers. It is shady in the summer 
time, and the views of the valley of Hutchinson's River are 
very attractive. 

As we stand near the rock and look over the meadows below, 
we are overlooking the site of Anne Hutchinson's house. The 
exact spot has never been determined, and probably never 
will be; but those who are interested in such matters incline 
to the opinion that the house stood somewhere near the spring 
a few yards south of the boulder. However that may be, 
it can only be a few rods distant from the rock to where that 
energetic and accomplished, but unfortunate, woman met her 
death at the hands of the murderous Weckquaesgeeks when 
on the war-path in 1643. Her name still lives in history, 
and her connection with this locality is perpetuated in the 
name of the tidal stream below, the Hutchinson River. In 
the near distance rises the tower of old St. Paul's Church, 
Eastchester, and in the farther distance rise the steeples and 
roofs of the city of Mount Vernon. 

Near the Shore Road, a few hundred feet from the entrance 
to the City Island Road, on the left, is a rocky islet in the 
meadow, to which a disused causeway leads. If one can 
withstand the mosquitoes, which are very much in evidence 
on the whole water front of the Chester district, a trip aside 
to this islet will show to the visitor a number of holes in the 
solid rock, similar to the pot-holes made by the grinding action 
of gravel and running water, in which, according to tradition, 
the Indians used to grind their corn. On the left, beyond the 



The Parks and Cemeteries 313 

causeway where the battle began, there is an ancient Indian 
burial ground from which a number of skeletons and other 
remains have been unearthed by curious seekers. Nearby is 
the boulder called "Jack's Rock." 

Directly opposite the point where the Split Rock Road 
enters the Shore Road, a lane leads down to the water's edge 
through the Bartow place and to the ancient burial-place of 
the Pell family, in which several of the manor-lords are buried. 
The plot is surrounded by a fence with square granite posts at 
each corner, upon each one of which there is carved a pelican, 
the crest of the Pells. They also bear the following inscriptions : 

{North) {West) 

INDIAN GRANT ROYAL PATENT 

OF OCT. 6, 1666. 

PELHAM MANOR DUKE OF YORK 

TO TO 

THOMAS PELL THOMAS PELL 

NOV. 14, 1654. iST LORD OF THE MANOR. 

{South) {East) 

ROYAL PATENT PELHAM BAY PARK 

OCT. 25, 1687 1884 

JAMES II. ERECTED 1891 

TO BY DESCENDANTS OF 

JOHN PELL BENJAMIN PELL 

2ND LORD OF THE MANOR. GRANDSON OF 
FIRST JUDGE, 1688 THOMAS PELL 

AND FIRST MEMBER LORD OF THE MANOR. 
PROVINCIAL ASSEMBLY 
1691 
OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY. 

[LAWS OF N. Y. CHAP. 474, 1890.] 



314 The Story of The Bronx 

Many of the ancient inscriptions have been recarved so 
that they are fairly legible. The oldest bears the following : 
"her lyes isec pell d. dec. 14, ANNO 1748." In 1862, 
a white marble slab was erected by James K. Pell, Esq., "to 
mark the spot where lie buried the mortal remains of several 
of the descendants of john pell, the son of the rev. john 
PELL, D.D. and nephew of thomas pell, the first proprietor 
of the Lordship and Manor of Pelham." 

There are also several mounds upon the place, supposedly 
of Indian origin. Upon the lawn in front of the house used 
to stand in solitary state the stump of a fine oak tree, whose 
top had been blown off in some storm about twenty-five feet 
from the ground, so that it looked like an enormous bush. 
This is stated to have been the identical tree under whose 
branches the original proprietor, Thomas Pell, bought from 
the Indian sachems the lands in the vicinity. The tree was 
protected for many years by an iron fence ; but leaves and other 
rubbish gathered inside and were not taken away. Some 
careless person threw a lighted article of some kind among 
the rubbish, with the result that the tree was entirely destroyed 
April 8, 1906, and nothing now remains except the fence. One 
of the manor-houses also stood on the same lawn southwest 
of the present Bartow mansion, erected about 1850. 

Going north on the Shore Road, we pass the public golf 
links and come to the stone gateway marking the entrance to 
Hunter's Island. This was originally a part of the manor of 
Pelham, and has also been known as Appleby and Henderson's 
Island. In 1743, it was owned by Joshua Pell, a grandson of 
the first manor-lord, from whom it passed to the Hunts and 
Hendersons, and from them, in the latter part of the eighteenth 
century, to John Hunter, a gentleman of Scotch extraction, 
from whom it received its present name. His son, Elias des 



The Parks and Cemeteries 315 

Brosses Hunter (i 800-1 865) succeeded to the property and 
erected the great mansion of brick and stone which is located 
about the middle of the island and at its highest point. The 
mansion was erected about 1850, and as the park authorities 
have no money to care for it properly it has been allowed to 
fall into a sad state of disrepair. ^ The rooms are of grand 
size and proportions and the magnificent and costly fire-places 
and mantels of beautifully carved, rare woods are particularly 
noticeable. One can readily believe that Joseph Bonaparte 
offered a large sum for this little island before making his home 
at Bordentown, New Jersey. The house has been occupied 
during the summer months by the children in care of the 
"Little Mothers " Society of the Protestant Episcopal Church. 
In 1888, when Pelham Bay Park was formed, the Hunter's 
Island property belonged to Columbus Iselin. Opposite 
the gateway, on the west side of the Shore Road, are the 
property and mansion belonging formerly to Elizabeth De 
Lancey, a daughter of Elias Hunter. The mansion is now 
used as a road-house, and is known as the "Hunter's Island 
Inn." 

We cross a bridge to a small island where there is an entrance 
lodge, and then over a causeway to Hunter's Island itself. 
Here a choice of roads presents itself. The middle road takes 
us up to the Hunter mansion and the southern one leads along 
the shore to the causeways connecting the two small islands 
called the "Twins" with Hunter's Island. Upon the outer 
Twin Island, there is a handsome house, which was built and 
occupied by James D. Fish before his crooked dealings with 
the firm of Grant & Ward brought him to ruin and the 
penitentiary. It is now rented by the Park Department to 
the Jacob Riis Settlement during the warm months. In the 

' This is because all rents must be paid into the Sinking Fund. 



3i6 The Story of The Bronx 

summer time, a number of parties get permission from the 
Park Department to camp out along the shore. Upon one 
visit, the author came across a party from the De La Salle 
Institute, whose members were engaged in practical field 
work in surveying, having surveyed the island and its sur- 
roundings in true Coast Survey fashion. On the northeast 
end of the island is a great boulder, known as the "Gray 
Mare " ; and on the southeast end is another one, known as the 
great Indian rock "Mishow, " around which, tradition asserts, 
the Indians used to conduct their religious and other rites. 
As will be seen in the picture, advantage has been taken by 
some campers of the laxity of supervision on the part of the 
park officers to deface the rock with the name of their camp. 
In 1905, a regular camping-out place was opened on Rodman's 
Neck, north of the City Island Bridge, to which the name 
Orchard Beach has been given; it is very well patronized as a 
summer beach city, and the other place has been closed. 
From time immemorial, all the waters surrounding these 
islands have been famous for the quantity and diversity of 
the fish that have been caught in them. On Sundays and 
holidays, the waters are dotted with the boats of the fishermen, 
who come here from the distant city for a day's sport. Many 
Indian relics have been found in the neighborhood, including 
hatchets and tomahawks of stone, and arrows and javelins of 
flint, quartz, and horn. That it was a favorite place with the 
aborigines is shown by the great number of shell beds, or 
mounds, that one finds along the shores of the Sound, or by 
the quantities of broken shells that are turned up by the plough 
in the fields. The quahaug, or hard clam, furnished most of 
these shells; as from them, the Indian made his sewant, or 
wampum, which was used as money, as well as figuring in 
many of his ceremonies, and, also, for recording history. 




Camping out on Hunter's Island, Pelham Bay Park. 




The Indian Rock called " Mishow," Hunter's Island, Pelham Bay Park. 



The Parks and Cemeteries 317 

In consequence, the whole country around about — what was 
virtually Pell's purchase — was called by the Indians Laap- 
hawachking, or the "place of stringing beads. " 

The smaller section of the park south of Hutchinson's 
River is at the northern end of Throgg's Neck, and was 
called in colonial times "Dorman's Island," and later "Tay- 
lor's Island." That there was some kind of a road leading 
to it from the borough-town of Westchester, the map of 
Sauthier, inaccurate as it is, plainly shows. Where this 
Road comes into the Shore Road there are an athletic field for 
outdoor sports, and a parade ground of one hundred and twenty 
acres, opened September 10, 1904. 

In March, 18 12, the Legislature incorporated the East- 
Chester Bridge Company, and the bridge over the Hutchinson 
River near its mouth was built soon after. In 181 7, the 
Westchester and Pelham Turnpike Company was incorporated 
for the purpose of building a turnpike from the causeway at 
Westchester to the above mentioned bridge, following prob- 
ably the lane of Sauthier's map. The first bridge was 
destroyed by a storm, and the company was authorized by 
the Legislature of 1816 to sell its property and franchises for 
a period of forty-five years. The second bridge was built 
in 1834 by George Rapelje, with the right to charge tolls for 
a period of thirty years; but the supervisors of Westchester 
County purchased the bridge in i860 and made it free. The 
former iron bridge was constructed in 1869-70; but it proved 
insufficient for the traffic after the automobile arrived, and it 
was replaced by the present larger bridge, opened by the Depart- 
ment of Bridges on October 15, 1908, at a cost of $517,000. 

The bridge has always been famous for the good fishing 
to be obtained from it, and the author remembers having 
made several trips to it when a very small boy, walking from 



3i8 The Story of The Bronx 

Mt. Vernon and back with his companions by way of East- 
chester and the Split Rock Road. Bolton gives records of a 
striped bass weighing sixty-three pounds, being caught on 
June 3, 1844, of another of fifty pounds, caught by E. des 
Brosses Hunter, and of others of twenty and forty-three 
pounds at various times. "There were giants in those days !" 
Flounders, tom-cod, eels, and fish of all kinds, including an 
occasional sheepshead, are also mentioned by the same author. 
The best time for fishing is in the months of September and 
October. The stream was formerly clear, but for many years 
it has been polluted by the sewage of Mt. Vernon and the 
outpourings of the gas-works at Eastchester, and the fish 
are not so plentiful as formerly. 

Crotona Park lies between Third and Arthur avenues on 
the west and east, and Fulton and Tremont avenues on the 
south and north. It originally contained 141 acres, but 
thirteen more have been added. Bungay Creek, the boundary 
between the manor of Morrisania and the West Farms patent, 
had its origin within the park. It is also famous for its trees, 
which one writer states are not surpassed by anything this 
side of the Adirondacks. The property formerly belonged 
to the Bathgate family, whose ancestor, Alexander, came from 
Scotland early in the nineteenth century and became foreman 
for the first Gouverneur Morris, and bought the farm from the 
second. Alexander's brother James was also a farmer at Ford- 
ham ; his farm was taken by the Jerome Park Racing Associ- 
ation. In the northwest corner of the park, facing Third 
Avenue, is the Borough Hall, containing the offices of the 
Borough departments, except that of parks. It is a fine build- 
ing, erected in 1897, and stands on an elevation which is 
approached by an imposing flight of steps in terraces. In the 
rear of the building there is a field for base-ball, and about the 




%. 




.Bf 


>> 


TJ 


ja 






u, 


j: 


pq 


o 


S 




c3 




^ 


cS 


"o) 


s 


0H 


o 




fe 




Pelham Bridge, over Eastchester Creek, Pelham Bay Park 




The New Pelham Bridge, 



The Parks and Cemeteries 319 

middle of the park there is an athletic field ; tennis-courts are 
also at the service of the public. 

Saint Mary's Park comprises 28.7 acres lying between 
St. Ann's and Robbins avenues and between East 149th 
Street and St. Mary's Avenue, not far from old St. Ann's 
Church. The park formerly possessed a small lake fed by 
natural springs, which has been filled up. From the highest 
point in the park, before the neighborhood was built up, fine 
views were to be had of both the Harlem and East rivers. 
The park is on land formerly belonging to Gouvemeur 
Morris. 

Claremont Park contains thirty-eight acres, and is triangu- 
lar in shape, its base, or northern boundary, being Belmont 
Street, and its sides being on the east Clay Avenue, and on 
the west Teller Avenue. It touches both Webster Avenue 
and East 170th Street. The park is on a commanding 
position to the west of the ancient Mill Brook, and is on prop- 
erty formerly belonging to the Zboroski family, which was 
obtained from the Morrisania estate by the marriage of 
Martin Zboroski with Anna Morris. The Zboroski mansion, 
built in 1859, is a fine stone mansion near the northern end of 
the park and is used for the office of the Park Department of 
The Bronx. Upon the west side of the house is the date 1859, 
and upon the south gable there is the date 1676, the year in 
which Lewis Morris received his patent to the land from Gover- 
nor Andros. The house contains some fine marble mantels; 
and on each side of the east entrance, let into the stonework, 
are three fine alto-relievos in white marble of scenes from Greek 
mythology. The views from the mansion to the south and 
west are particularly fine, as the site is a high one. There are 
tennis-courts and a base-ball field. The park is connected with 
Crotona Park by means of Wendover Avenue. It also con- 



320 The Story of The Bronx 

tains many magnificent specimens of trees, some of them of 
rare varieties. 

The only other piece of property obtained in 1888 is a strip 
one hundred feet wide connecting Crotona Park with Bronx 
Park. This lies east of the Southern Boulevard and extends 
along the western side of Bronx Park. It is known as Crotona 
Parkway and was opened in 1910 at an expense of $255,500. 

The other parks within the Borough have been bought since 
those mentioned above. Macomb's Dam Park was acquired 
in 1899. It lies between Jerome and Cromwell avenues, 
and East 1626. Street and the Harlem River, covering an area 
of twenty-seven acres. A large part of this park included the 
swampy and marshy land bordering Cromwell's Creek, and 
much of this has been filled in without cost to the city by allow- 
ing contractors to dump here the materials they have removed 
from excavations. There are an athletic field, base-ball 
fields, and tennis-courts. 

Echo Park is one of the most beautiful of the smaller parks 
of the Borough. It comprises three acres at Mount Hope, 
lying west of Webster Avenue. It gets its name from a well- 
defined echo that can be heard, so it is said, between two 
great masses of rock within its boundaries. Until it was 
acquired by the Park Department in 1902 it had been used 
by the Highway Bureau as a dumping-ground. 

University Park is a side-hill park in front of the land of 
the New York University. It contains three acres, and was 
acquired by the city in 1901. 

St. James Park gets its name from the fact that it adjoins 
St. James's Protestant Episcopal Church on Jerome Avenue, 
near Fordham cross-road. It comprises nearly twelve acres 
and was acquired in 1901. It was a low, wet, marshy tract, 
but it has been cleaned up and drained. 




The Zbrowski Mansion, Claramont Park. 




Poe's Cottage, Fordham. 
From a photo by A. A. Stoughton, 1885. 



^ 








m 


>- ^, A 




,' 


jhl 


'^d 




m 


^- 


- 






Bh7 


h^^i -^p 


---?.:-- ;.n-:;. 




,-'^^^^^^^'^/'-'-'^^:.;,/ 






X,'v 'S.. 


- [ .■-■■'■■■■.. '. . . ; ■ 







I 



The Farragut Monument in Woodlawn Cemetery 



The Parks and Cemeteries 321 

Poe Park contains two acres obtained in 1902. It lies on 
the Kingsbridge Road west of the Harlem Railroad and east of 
Jerome Avenue, distant about half a mile from each. It gets 
its name from the Poe cottage directly opposite the park. 

Washington Bridge Park, containing nine acres, was ob- 
tained in 1899. It lies at the northerly end of Washington 
Bridge and has been fully developed. 

Melrose Park of one acre was obtained in August, 1902. 
De Voe Park is a small park of about six acres on Fordham 
Road, near Sedgwick Avenue; it was bought in 1907, and 
opened in 1910; it adjoins Webb's Academy, Joseph Rodman 
Drake Park is situated on Hunt's Point and contains two and 
a half acres. It contains the old Hunt burial-ground and the 
grave of the poet Drake; it was opened in 19 10. It was 
planned to have a park at the extremity of Hunt's Point, 
containing something less than ten acres; but owing to the 
scandal attached to the acquisition of the property it has been 
turned back into the Sinking Fund. In addition, there is 
the proposed park at Seton's Falls, upon the northern bound- 
ary of the city. There are other plans of improvement in 
view, but their execution depends upon what the Board of 
Estimate and Apportionment will allow from year to year. 
Besides the parks named above, there are 22.6 acres of im- 
proved, unnamed parks. 

Cemeteries: While there are several small cemeteries, 
usually attached to some of the older churches, there are only 
two of any considerable size, Woodlawn and Saint Raymond's. 

Woodlawn Cemetery was organized December 29, 1863, 
and the first interment was made January 14, 1865; the total 
number of interments to January i, 1912, is 81,796. At the 
time of the purchase of the land for the cemetery this section 
was wholly rural, and there was no prospect that the land 



322 The Story of The Bronx 

would ever be within the corporate limits of New York City. 
The cemetery com.prises four hundred acres on the westerly 
side of the Bronx River in the former township of Kingsbridge, 
with Webster Avenue for its eastern, and Woodlawn Road 
and Jerome Avenue for its western boundaries. On the north 
it extends to East 233d Street and on the south almost to the 
Gun Hill Road. The ground is high and is on the northerly 
end of the Fordham ridge, which separates the Harlem and 
Bronx valleys. In colonial days it was heavily wooded, and 
it was within the sheltering shadows of its trees that Colonel 
Simcoe placed his own rangers and the dragoons of Tarleton 
upon August 31, 1778, when he planned the ambush for the 
force of Colonel Gist and his Indian allies. 

In 1900, the city took a strip from the eastern side of the 
cemetery for the extension of Webster Avenue. This de- 
stroyed the beautiful pond and the parterres of flowers which 
were so conspicuous for many years to the passengers on the 
Harlem and New Haven railroads. A fine granite bulkhead 
with iron-railed top now constitutes the eastern side of the 
cemetery. The southerly boundary is a fence which cuts off 
the approach to the old Revolutionary redoubt constructed 
by the orders of General Heath to command the Boston 
Road and the bridge over the Bronx River. The old fort is 
only a few feet within the fence. 

The cemetery has two main carriage entrances, one at the 
northeast comer, close to the Harlem Railroad station, and 
the other at Jerome Avenue at its junction with Woodlawn 
Road. Near both are situated monument makers, gardeners, 
florists, and "hotels. " Why is it that near cemetery entrances 
there are always located so many "hotels," whose chief func- 
tion seems to be to dispense liquid refreshments? Are mourn- 
ers and drivers of hearses and coaches such a thirsty lot? 



The Parks and Cemeteries 323 

Or do visitors go to a cemetery as they would to a park or 
museum, and make a picnic of their visit? 

The grounds of the cemetery are kept in beautiful condition, 
and many fine pieces of sculpture, mausoleums, and other 
mortuary emblems ornament the grounds. Among the names 
on these we find many that are famous in New York's mercan- 
tile, commercial, or historic life, and one whose fame extends 
beyond the confines of city or nation, that of our great, 
first admiral, who was buried here in 1870, David Glasgow 
Farragut. 

The monument is of white marble and represents a broken 
mast with a row of belaying pins near its base. At the foot 
of the mast are coils of rope, a sword, and various other 
nautical paraphernalia, as well as symbolic shields. On the 
western side is inscribed: 

ERECTED 

BY HIS WIFE AND SON 

TO THE MEMORY OF 

DAVID GLASGOW FARRAGUT, 

FIRST ADMIRAL OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY. 

BORN JULY 5, 1 80 1, 

DIED AUGUST I4, 187O. 

Upon the south side is the inscription: 

VIRGINIA D. FARRAGUT, 

WIFE OF 

DAVID GLASGOW FARRAGUT. 

BORN NOVEMBER 24, 1 824, 

DIED OCTOBER 3I, 1 884. 

On the east face is an inscription to the wife of Loyall 
Farragut, the son of the Admiral. 



324 The Story of The Bronx 

St. Raymond's Cemetery is a Roman Catholic burying- 
ground, incorporated in 1878, and situated on the Fort Schuyler 
Road on Throgg's Neck, near the Eastern Boulevard. It 
at first comprised thirty-six acres, but has since been increased 
by fifty more. The number of burials to January i, 1912, is 
53,000, nearly all of inhabitants of the Borough. The prop- 
erty was formerly a part of the Ferris estate, though the 
cemetery company bought from a Mrs. Underhill. In opening 
some of the graves in the eastern part of the grounds great 
quantities of shells have been thrown out, showing that this 
was formerly a feasting place of the Indians. 



CHAPTER XIV 



KINGSBRIDGE 



THE northwest comer of the Borough at Mount Saint 
Vincent was a part of the PhiHpseburgh Manor; and 
when the Commissioners of Forfeiture sold the seques- 
trated estates of Colonel Frederick Philipse in 1785, Captain 
John Warner of the Revolutionary army became the purchaser 
of a large farm, extending for half a mile along the Hudson, 
A part of the farm came into the possession of the famous actor, 
Edwin Forrest, in 1847. He called his place "Font Hill," 
and he erected upon it a handsome, castellated stone residence, 
intending that, after his death, it should become a home for 
aged actors. The plan of the home materialized, but it is not 
located in Yonkers, as this was known until 1873. "Forrest's 
Castle, " as the building is frequently called, has been for many 
years prominent among the many beautiful and palatial 
residences that adorn the river banks. In December, 1856, 
Forrest disposed of his property to the Sisters of Charity. 

The Sisters of Charity is a society of women regularly in- 
corporated under the laws of the State of New York. It is 
one of the numerous benevolent associations of the Roman 
Catholic Church, and has various branches throughout the 
State, conducting hospitals, schools, asylums, and charitable 
work of all kinds. The headquarters of the society are at 

325 



326 The Story of The Bronx 

Mount Saint Vincent de Paul, where they own a picturesque 
tract of fifty acres, purchased in 1856. Here they conduct a 
famous academy for the education of girls irrespective of 
religious sect, as well as a convent for the instruction of 
novices of the Order. The main building is an imposing brick 
structure, five hundred feet long and three stories in height. 
The southern half is devoted to the purposes of the academy 
and the northern half to those of the convent. The Forrest 
mansion is used as a residence for the chaplain; and it is also 
used as a library and museum for a fine collection of natural- 
history specimens, the mineral exhibit being particularly 
good, and for a numismatic collection of coins and medals. 

The views of the river are magnificent in all directions ; for, 
directly across, the Palisades reach their greatest height. A 
rocky point, called "Switcher's rock" in colonial days, extends 
beyond the New York Central Railroad tracks and makes a 
convenient bathing-place, as well as a small park directly on 
the water. The grounds are beautifully kept, and are so 
extensive that many farm products are easily raised. At both 
entrances, the Yonkers and the railroad, visitors are notified 
by signs that all admittance is prohibited. 

Immediately south of Mount St. Vincent is Riverdale, 
which is partially located on the old farm of George Hadley, 
bought from the Commissioners of Forfeiture in 1785. In 
1843, about one hundred acres were acquired by William G. 
Ackerman; and ten years later a syndicate bought a large 
part of the Ackerman purchase and laid it out as a village. 
The construction of the Hudson River Railroad made the 
property accessible, and a number of beautiful residences and 
estates occupy the ground. It was from these heights that 
Generals Heath and Clinton witnessed the gallant attempts 
of the fire-ships to destroy the British war vessels in September, 




Mount Saint Vincent de Paul, Font Hill, or " Forrest's Castle." 




Looking from Spuyten Duyvil Neck toward the Hudson. 




The Berrien Homestead on Spuyten Duyvil Neck. 




Spuyten Duyvil Neck from near the Station. 



Kingsbridge 327 

1776. The highest point of land in the Borough, 282 feet, 
is in Riverdale. There are no stores in Riverdale, and no 
village in the ordinary sense of the word. The genial humorist, 
Mark Twain, lived here in 1901 ; and among the landowners 
and residents have been many whose names have been famous 
in the political and mercantile history of the city. 

South of Riverdale was the farm of William Hadley, extend- 
ing from the Hudson River to the Albany Post-road. Hadley 
acquired it in two parcels : one from Colonel Jacobus, or James, 
Van Cortlandt, grandson of the first of the name, in 1761, 
and the other from the Commissioners of Forfeiture in 1786. 
The two parcels, comprising 257 acres, were bought from 
Hiadley's executors in 1829 by Joseph Delafield, and the 
property remains with his descendants to this day. 

In 1853, Hudson Park was laid out by a land company in 
the northwest corner of the Betts and Tippett tract of 1668, 
on a farm formerly belonging to Samuel Thomson. It lies 
south of the Delafield property mentioned above. 

South of Hudson Park lies the bold promontory between 
the Hudson River and Spuyten Duyvil Creek, which has been 
known under the several names of Shorrack-kappock, Tippett's 
Neck, Berrien's Neck, and Spuyten Duyvil Neck, the first 
being its Indian title and the last its present one. It was 
formerly known as the village and post-oflfice of Spuyten 
Duyvil, and that is the name of the station of the Central 
Railroad to-day. The more northerly portion comprised a 
tract of 356 acres and was purchased by Frederick Van Cort- 
landt, brother of Colonel James, between 1768 and 1788 from 
several owners who had acquired the Betts and Tippett tract 
by purchase or inheritance. Upon the eastern side of the 
property, overlooking the Albany Post-road, Van Cortlandt 
erected a mansion which, during the Revolution, was known as 



328 The Story of The Bronx 

"Upper Cortlandt's, " to distinguish it from the mansion 
in Van Cortlandt Park. The British maintained a post at 
Upper Cortlandt's from 1777 to 1779; it was this post that 
General Lincoln captured during the attack upon Fort Inde- 
pendence under Heath. The British afterwards reoccupied 
it, and from it went many an expedition to harry the occupants 
of the Neutral Ground. The old house was burnt about 1822. 
Its site is occupied by a large stone house, formerly belonging 
to Waldo Hutchins, at one time surrogate of the city of New 
York. The property passed by inheritance from Frederick 
Van Cortlandt to his brother Augustus, the city clerk of New 
York in 1776. By purchase from his heirs in 1836, James R. 
Whiting became the owner, and in 1840 he erected a large 
stone mansion overlooking the Hudson. The next year he 
disposed of parcels of the property, and the section is now one 
of fine residences, most of which are a half to three quarters 
of a century old. 

In 1892, the remnant of the Whiting property came into 
possession of the Sisters of Charity, who occupied the large 
and roomy mansion as a hospital for the care of consumptives 
in the first stages of the disease. Later, a fine hospital build- 
ing was erected on Spuyten Duyvil Parkway, the whole insti- 
tution being known as Seton Hospital. It furnishes free 
relief for those unable to pay, and has thirty rooms for pay 
patients; it can accommodate three hundred and forty. 

Upon its extensive grounds formerly stood an ancient syca- 
more tree which was known as the "Cowboy tree," a local 
tradition asserting that the Americans had hanged a British 
marauder upon it in the days of the Revolution. Several 
gorges lead from the steep hillside to the Hudson below, cut 
out of the sandstone by the erosive action of water. At the 
head of one of these gorges a small stream issues from under 



Kingsbridge 329 

some overhanging rocks which form a natural cave, known 
locally as "Indian cave, " from the tradition that two of Nim- 
ham's band of Stockbridge Indians hid here from the pursuing 
troopers of Tarleton after their defeat by Simcoe near Wood- 
lawn Heights. 

The southern end of the neck was formerly the home tract 
of George Tippett and his descendants, the Berriens. The 
old Berrien homestead, though modernized, still stands near 
the end of the neck, commanding a magnificent view of the 
Hudson and the northern end of Manhattan. About a quarter 
of a mile north of it is the Strang house, built originally by a 
Mr. Cameron within the ramparts of Fort Number One. 
The house is now occupied by William C. Muschenheim, the 
proprietor of the Hotel Astor, who, on November 5, 1910, 
caused a suitable bronze tablet to be unveiled in order to 
properly mark so historic a spot. Some distance east of 
Number One is a circular tumulus, the remains of Number 
Two, the "Fort Swartwout" of the Americans, and the Fort 
Independence of Sauthier's map. A few yards east of it is 
the house known as the Warren Sage house, which occupies 
the site of Number Three, which commanded the King's 
Bridge, and from which there is a fine view across the valley 
to the site of the true Fort Independence of the Americans on 
Fordham ridge. 

The Indian village of Nipnichsen stood on the neck, and 
very extensive shell mounds still exist below the bluff, show- 
ing that this was a favorite place of resort of the natives. In 
1655, while Governor Stuyvesant was absent with the military 
forces of the colony on his expedition against the Swedish 
Fort Christina on the Delaware, a band of nine hundred 
savages crossed over from the Jersey shore and occupied the 
neck as a post of observation, while two thousand of their 



330 The Story of The Bronx 

companions entered the city of New Amsterdam itself, causing 
great uneasiness to the inhabitants; they were, however, 
prevailed upon to withdraw to Nutten (now Governor's) Island. 

The old Tippett house stood on the eastern side of the neck 
in a grove of locust trees. During the Revolution, the Tip- 
petts were loyalists, and, in consequence, lost their property 
by confiscation. It was sold to Samuel Berrien, who had 
married Dorcas, a daughter of George Tippett; another 
daughter was the wife of the celebrated James De Lancey, 
sheriff of the county and leader of the Westchester Light 
Horse. Though the Berriens were good Whigs, their house, 
as well as that of Tippett, was a resort for the loyalists, owing 
to the protection offered by the forts above, whose officers 
could not have found duty upon the neck so very irksome with 
several pleasant houses in the neighborhood to visit. 

In 1852, the old Berrien tract was composed of three farms. 
These were sold to three gentlemen of Troy, New York, who 
had the property surveyed and laid out as a village. It was 
at first called Fort Independence, under the impression that 
that fort had been located on the crest of the hill; but later, 
the name was changed to Spuyten Duyvil, after the creek. 
A foundry was established at the base of the bluff, which has 
expanded as the years have gone by into an extensive plant 
which has for a number of years supplied a large number of 
modern and improved projectiles for the guns of the United 
States Navy. There has thus grown up near the foundry a 
small village to accommodate the hands who work in the 
Johnson mill, and it is here that the stores and post-office are 
located. From the point upon which the mill stands, to the 
opposite shore of the creek on Manhattan, there stood, in 
Revolutionary days, a pontoon bridge connecting the posts 
and fortifications of the two sides of the creek. It was also 



Kingsbridge 331 

upon the Cock Hill on Manhattan that there was to be found 
the spouting spring which is supposed to have given its name 
to the locality. 

Upon the higher part of the neck, the section is entirely 
residential, and there are many beautiful houses and pieces 
of property. The ridge ends in a bold, rocky bluff, from which 
is obtained a beautiful and picturesque view. At our feet 
is the winding creek entering the broad and majestic Hudson, 
which here, by contrast, appears as a lake; across the river 
towers the perpendicular frontage of the Palisades; while 
across the creek is the gently rising and heavily wooded dome 
of Cox's Hill on Manhattan, still so unimproved by man as to 
convince us of the surpassing beauty of this locality when 
Hudson and his crew first viewed its shores. Even as a boy, 
when I passed the entrance of the creek on Hudson River 
steamers, I used to look into this entrance and think it looked 
like the entrance to Paradise. To the southward and east- 
ward, Marble Hill rises with its residences, and at its foot is 
the western entrance to the Ship Canal; while still farther 
away our view extends to the heights of Fordham with the 
great buildings of the Roman Catholic Orphan Asylum and of 
the New York University outlined against the sky; still farther 
away are those engineering triumphs. High Bridge and Wash- 
ington Bridge. When moonlight spreads its glamor over the 
scene, even the ugly railroad bridge at the mouth of the 
creek appears beautiful. 

On the morning of October 22, 1609, the Half- Moon left 
her anchorage at Teller's Point near the mouth of the Croton 
River and made twenty-one miles to the southward during 
the day; but, encountering head winds and tides, she was 
obliged to anchor in the afternoon off the mouth of Spuyten 
Duyvil Creek. 



332 The Story of The Bronx 

"The two captive Indians who had escaped at West Point 
had, it appears," says Irving, "made their way to the east 
side of the river, rousing on their return the spirits of Sleepy 
Hollow, or the more ferocious Manhatta, and here, in the in- 
let of Haarlem River, they had concentrated a force that 
impatiently awaited the arrival of the rich booty, which they 
flattered themselves they should obtain. They had not 
waited long before the Half-Moon appeared, and immedi- 
ately hove to, near their place of ambush. One of the In- 
dians who had escaped from Hudson's vessel now came out 
with many others armed with bows and arrows, expecting to 
betray them." 

As to the issue of the attack, we have the account of Juet, 
the mate of the Half-Moon. He says : 

"We perceived their intent, and suffered none of them to 
enter our ship, whereupon two canoes full of men with bows 
and arrows shot at us after our stem, in recompense whereof 
we discharged six muskets and killed two or three of them; 
then above one hundred of them came to a point of land to 
shoot at us, then I shot a falcon at them and killed two of 
them; whereupon the rest fled into the woods. Yet they 
manned off another canoe with nine or ten men, which came to 
meet us ; so I shot at it a falcon, and shot it through and killed 
one of them, then our men with muskets killed three or four 
more of them, so they went their way. " 

Yes, and so the Half -Moon went her way, too; but left 
behind her a legacy of hate, suspicion, and revenge which 
boded ill for those who came later. It is strange that these 
civilized Europeans — whether English, Dutch, French, or 
Spanish — who first came to our shores should have so univer- 
sally aroused the baser passions of these simple children of 
nature, when it would have been just as easy to have aroused 




Henry Hudson Monument, Spuyten Duyvil Neck. 

Mr. Muschenheim's residence is on the left, and under the first second-story window 

on the porch side is the bronze tablet marking the site of Fort Number One. 

Courtesy of William C Muschenheim, Esq. 




Statue of Henry Hudson by Karl Bitter. 



Kingsbridge ' 333 

their friendship, as Penn did, by fair and honest dealings and 
by considerate treatment. 

In 1909 occurred the three hundredth anniversary of 
Hudson's explorations, and the city celebrated with numerous 
civic and miHtary displays. It occurred to Mr. Muschenheim 
that a statue to Hudson on the point opposite the scene of 
the anchorage of the Half-Moon would be an appropriate 
memorial, and he succeeded in interesting four other gentle- 
men to go in with him as a committee, and lists for subscrip- 
tions were opened with such success that nearly $ 100,000 
were pledged. The monument is in the form of a hollow shaft 
one hundred feet in height, to be surmounted by a sixteen- 
foot statue of the explorer. Mr. Walter Cook is the designer 
of the monument, which has already been erected, and Karl 
Bitter is the sculptor of the statue. The point of the neck 
upon which the monument stands is two hundred feet above 
the river, so that the gallery at the top of the shaft will 
be three hundred feet high. A superb view will be obtained 
from this point, access to which will be obtained by a wind- 
ing flight of stairs within the shaft. Four tablets will be 
placed upon the pedestal, though these have not yet been 
designed. 

In connection with the ter-centenary of Hudson's discovery, 
it was planned to have a memorial bridge span the waters of 
Spuyten Duyvil Creek, connecting Cock Hill with Spuyten 
Duyvil Neck, at a sufficient height to be clear of interference 
with navigation, and to connect the Boulevard Lafayette — 
to be extended for the purpose — with the Spuyten Duyvil 
Parkway. Though plans were made in sufficient time to 
allow of the construction of the bridge by 1909, they did not 
meet with the approval of the Municipal Art Commission and 
other bodies, and the bridge is still unbuilt. When it is 



334 The Story of The Bronx 

constructed, the Hudson monument will stand in its axis at 
the northern end. 

Continuing our way east from the Spuyten Duyvil station 
of the railroad, we formerly crossed the New York Central 
tracks three times, once on a bridge over a deep cut in the 
solid rock, and twice within a few yards at grade, these last 
having been very dangerous crossings. It is near these 
crossings that there occurred on January 13, 1881, a dreadful 
railroad accident in which thirteen persons were killed ; among 
them being Senator Wagner, the inventor of the sleeping- 
coach and parlor-car which bear his name. There were thir- 
teen coaches on the wrecked train, and this combination of 
"thirteen" confirmed the credulous in their belief in the old 
superstition. It was to get rid of this dangerous passage 
through Kingsbridge that the railroad changed its route to 
the Ship Canal in February, 1906. The Hudson, off the 
mouth of the creek, was the scene of an earlier accident on 
July 28, 1852, when the river boat Henry Clay was burned, 
and seventy persons, mostly women and children, lost their 
lives either by fire or drowning. 

We may continue up Riverdale Avenue, a fine road leading 
to the top of the hill to the ground we have just passed over, 
or we may take the ancient road, called Dash's Lane, along 
the base of the hill on a level with Tippett's Brook, till it 
joins the ancient post-road at Mosholu, west of Van Cortlandt 
Park. A third choice is open to us, that of keeping east over 
Tippett's Brook and so through the village of Kingsbridge. 
From the mouth of the brook eastward to the ancient bridge, 
Spuyten Duyvil Creek has been filled in. 

Kingsbridge is a straggling village, and the road was formerly 
lined with boat-houses, feed stores, etc. On October 26, 1903, 
a disastrous fire destroyed many of these buildings. The fire 



Kingsbridge 335 

was started, presumably, by the rockets set off during a po- 
litical torch-light procession previous to the election of that 
year. Church Street passes north over the rocky core of the 
former island of Paparinemo and joins Broadway nearly a 
mile above. We take a look at the ancient bridge which 
gives its name to this locality, now much neglected, and due, 
in a short time, to disappear altogether; after passing it, 
we are on the Boston Road of 1673, though this has been 
recently graded from its former level. 

We pass a large stone mansion which attracts our attention. 
This was the home for many years of the late Mr. Joseph 
Godwin. Previous to his occupancy of it, it had been the 
home of Mrs. Mary C. P. Macomb, the wife of Robert Macomb, 
whose ventures were no more successful than those of his 
father. Mrs. Macomb acquired the Paparinemo tract about 
1830. It is believed that there is incorporated within the 
present mansion the ancient stone tavern which was main- 
tained by both Verveelen and the Philipses in accordance with 
their grants. If so, it is one of the oldest relics we have, as 
it would date from 1669. Mrs. Macomb enlarged and modern- 
ized the old tavern, which became noted for its hospitality as 
her private home. Edgar Allan Poe, that unfortunate genius, 
was a frequent visitor, as his home in Fordham was little more 
than a mile away. 

' In 1847, Mrs. Macomb had her property surveyed and cut 
up into building lots; and the village of Kingsbridge had its 
beginning. Under the present Broadway Bridge, is the 
" wading-place " of the olden time. The bar in the middle of 
the stream was visible at low tide, and it was built up by Mr. 
Godwin, who erected a summer house upon it; it was known 
for many years, in consequence, as "Godwin's Island." 

Passing up Broadway, we soon come to the flat meadow land 



336 The Story of The Bronx 

through which Tippett's Brook finds its tortuous way. Over- 
head the elevated portion of the subway thunders on to its 
terminus at West 2/^26. Street abreast of Van Cortlandt 
Park. On the right of the station are the Van Cortlandt 
mansion and the lake. Just south of the mansion, a road 
connects the opposite sides of the valley ; this is the old Albany 
Post-road. On our right, as we go farther up Broadway, is 
Van Cortlandt Park ; and on our left, are the hamlet of Mosholu 
and the heights of Riverdale, a rough, broken country, full 
of short, knobby hills, separated by deep ravines and gullies. 
A part of the old Albany Road Hes to the west of Broadway, 
a continuation of Dash's Lane. This present line of Broad- 
way was filled in about 1808 by the Highland Turnpike 
Company, which hung gates and charged toll, having control 
of the road all the way to Albany. Upon the rocky heights 
to the west, the remnant of the band of Stockbridge Indians 
found hiding-places from their pursuers. 

Instead of going up Broadway, we may cross to the eastern 
side of the valley by the ancient causeway (Macomb Street) 
over whose construction Verveelen and Archer had a row; 
or we may cross to the station of the Putnam Railroad over 
Depot Street, and follow the Albany Road to the park, or 
the Boston Road to the top of the hill to Sedgwick Avenue 
and the new Jerome Park reservoir. 

The reservoir lies in the former townships of Kingsbridge 
and West Farms (Fordham), and occupies the site of the 
Jerome Park race-track. Work upon the reservoir was begun 
in August, 1895, and the contract called for its completion in 
August, 1902. The reservoir was to consist of two basins 
capable of holding two billions of gallons and covering with 
water 212 acres out of the 309 bought by the city, thus making 
it the largest distributing reservoir in the world. The western 




A View of the King's Bridge — Spuyten Duyvil Neck in the Background, 




The Godwin, formerly the Macomb House, Kingsbridge. 



Kingsbridge 337 

basin, holding 773,000,000 gallons, was finished in October, 
1905; but at this writing the eastern and larger basin is still 
unfinished, and it does not look as if it ever would be finished. 
The contractor, however, so it is stated, has received the 
price for both basins ; and the city is in possession of an enor- 
mous hole in the ground which it will either have to complete 
on a new contract or leave as it is. The Catskill addition to 
the water supply of the city, now in course of construction, 
has done away with the necessity of this great reservoir unless 
the city should determine to install a filtration plant at an 
estimated expense of $1 1,000,000 in addition tothe$io,ooo,ooo, 
or more, that have been paid for the land and the work so far 
accomplished. The pumping station has a stand pipe three 
hundred feet high, so that sufficient head is assured for the 
tallest buildings in the city. The millions of cubic yards of 
materials removed by excavation have been used in filling in 
the valley of Cromwell's Creek and the meadows at Westches- 
ter, the refuse having been carried by rail across Bronx Park 
to the neighborhood of Westchester Creek and the Bronx 
and Pelham Bay Parkway. The Legislature of the State at its 
191 1 session authorized . the use of the eastern uncompleted 
portion for armory purposes for the State National Guard; 
and in December, 191 1, it was proposed to use a part of it in 
the southeast corner for the construction of store-houses, 
shops, etc., for the Eighth Artillery District of the United States 
Army. On January 23, 1912, plans were filed for the erection 
upon this site of a million-dollar armory for the Eighth Regi- 
ment of the State Militia. 

The reservoir is almost within a stone's throw of Fort 
Independence and Fort Number Five; so that when the exca- 
vations began, the workmen turned up with their tools several 
cannon-balls, bayonets, swords, buttons, and other military 



338 The Story of The Bronx 

relics, one man throwing out a shovelful of earth which gave 
up an English sovereign. All through this section, from time 
to time, similar relics have been unearthed, including several 
skeletons, one of which, by means of the regimental buttons 
and shreds of uniform that remained, was identified as that 
of a British officer. 

In 1772, Captain Richard Montgomery purchased a farm 
of seventy-five acres lying north of the Boston Road. He 
had been an officer in the British army, but, despairing of 
advancement, resigned his commission and came to America, 
"where my pride and my poverty would be much more at 
their ease, " as he himself declared, and where he could follow 
the pursuit of farming. In 1773, he married Janet Livingston, 
the daughter of the great and wealthy lord of Livingston Manor 
and sister of the later celebrated Chancellor Livingston. The 
young Irishman threw in his lot with the patriots; and as a 
member of the Provincial Congress was selected with others 
to examine the Kingsbridge neighborhood with a view to 
its defensibility. Fort Independence was afterwards located 
on his farm by Colonel Rufus Putnam, the American engineer 
officer who first planned the defences of Fort Washington and 
its vicinity. Montgomery was appointed a brigadier-general 
by the Continental Congress, and a major-general after his 
capture of Montreal. Had all the appointments of former 
British officers been as wise as that of Montgomery, we should 
not have had the record of the combined arrogance and in- 
efficiency of Lee, Gates, Conway, and others of like stamp. 

Montgomery had been with Wolfe in his memorable attack 
on Quebec, and it was probably on account of his knowledge 
of its approaches and defences that he was selected under 
Schuyler to command the American expedition against it. 
When he kissed his young wife good-bye at the home of General 



Kingsbridge 339 

Schuyler near Saratoga, on his way to Ticonderoga, he said 
to her: "You shall never blush for your Montgomery." 
He led the forlorn hope of his command at the assault on the 
citadel, and the large sign upon the precipice of Cape Diamond, 
below the fortress, "Here Montgomery fell, December 31, 
1775," shows that he kept his pledge. The news of his 
gallantry and death called forth the praises of Burke, Pox, 
Barre, and others of the British Parliament, until Lord North 
was moved to exclaim : "Curse on his virtues ; he has undone 
his country!" 

After the war, in 181 8, his remains were brought to New 
York City by order of the American Congress and placed in 
the front of St. Paul's Church at Broadway and Vesey Street ; 
and a white marble tablet was erected to commemorate his 
services. Many thousands of people pass the church daily 
without knowing, or caring, that here is buried one of the 
earliest, bravest, and noblest of the heroes of the Revolution. 

Inscriptions on the Montgomery tablet at St. Paul's Church : 

" This Monument is erected by the order of Congress 
25"" Jan'^, 1776, to tranfmit to Pofterity a grateful remem- 
brance of the patriotism conduct enterprize & performance 

of Major General RICHARD MONTGOMERY 
who after a feries of succefses amidft the most difcouraging 
Difficulties Fell in the attack on 

QUEBEC. 31". Dec*''., 1775. Aged 37 Years." 

"The State of New York 

Caused the Remains of 

Maj. Gen'. RICHARD MONTGOMERY 

to be conveyed from Quebec 

and deposited beneath this Monument 

the 8* day of July 

1818." 



340 The Story of The Bronx 

Among the papers found by Arnold in Montgomery's 
quarters at Quebec after his death, was his will, by which he 
left the Kingsbridge farm to his sister Sarah, Viscountess 
Ranelagh. The Montgomery house on Fort Independence 
Street is known to the inhabitants of the vicinity, but there 
is doubt as to its genuineness. Edsall, the historian of 
Kingsbridge, states that the original house was burned and 
completely destroyed by the British during the Revolution, 
while the late Mr. William Ogden Giles, who bought the prop- 
erty many years ago and erected his own house within the 
ramparts of Fort Independence, declared that it was the 
original Montgomery house, and called attention to the fact 
that its beams are of heivn oak, in most cases, a sure sign of 
antiquity. 

Fort Independence stands on the crest of the hill directly 
above the Montgomery house. The square tower of the 
house built upon its site is a prominent object, and is visible 
for miles in all directions, which shows the commanding 
position of the ancient redoubt. 

Both the old and the new Croton aqueducts pass through 
the former township; and the Catskill aqueduct, now building, 
will do likewise. In 1869, a portion of the Van Cortlandt 
estate, lying between Fort Independence hill and Van Cort- 
landt lake, was bought and laid out by the purchaser in build- 
ing lots. The tract was called "Oloff Park," after Oloff 
Stevensen Van Cortlandt, the first of the name in the New 
World, and the ancestor of the Van Cortlandt families. Oloff 
Park, which contained about one hundred acres, has nearly 
all disappeared within the park or the reservoir. 

Nearly all the rest of the former township is taken up by 
the public park and by Woodlawn Cemetery, both of which are 
described elsewhere in this volume. In the northeast comer 




The Montgomery House on Fort Independence Street. Home of Captain 
Richard Montgomery, later, Major-General in the Continental Army. — 

Kingsbridge. 




The Former Residence of the Late WilHam Ogden Giles. The Terraces Are 
the Ramparts of Fort Independence, Kingsbridge. 



i 



Kingsbridge 341 

of the township is the former village of Woodlawn Heights ; 
and in the southeast corner there is a small strip lying along 
the Gun Hill Road, between the cemetery and the Fordham 
Manor line, upon which are situated the athletic field and 
track belonging to Columbia University. Just east of it, 
but within the cemetery, is the old redoubt thrown up by the 
orders of General Heath in 1776. 

In 1884, there was established at Broadway and 138th 
Street, Manhattan, a memorial to the great Jewish philan- 
thropist. Sir Moses Montefiore, which took the form of a home 
for aged and chronic invalids , The building up of that locality 
and the limitation upon the spreading out of the institution's 
buildings, caused the trustees to take steps for the acquisition 
of a new site. That site was acquired in the fall of 19 10 on 
the Gun Hill Road, between Jerome Avenue and East 210th 
Street, taking up four city blocks ; and the city has authorized 
the closing of two streets so that the new buildings may 
be compact, and the grounds complete within themselves. 
Work was begun in the fall of 191 1, and when completed the 
buildings will be strictly modern in all respects and will have 
accommodations for six hundred inmates. It is expected 
that they will be ready for occupancy in the spring or summer 
of 1913. 



CHAPTER XV 

FORDHAM MANOR 

THE manor of Fordham never constituted a township 
by itself, having first been incorporated in the town- 
ship of Westchester by the Act of 1788, and later, 
within the township of West Farms when it was formed in 1846. 
Still, for purposes of exploration, we may consider it as a sep- 
arate entity ; though, as it lies so close to Kingsbridge,it is some- 
times difficult to differentiate in describing the two. On the 
Harlem River, Fordham extends as far south as Highbridge, 
and on the Bronx, it lies between West Farms and Williams- 
bridge. Within this area, there grew up a number of villages, 
Fordham, South Fordham, Tremont, East Tremont, Belmont, 
South Belmont, Mount Hope, Mount Eden, Monterey, Ford- 
ham Heights, Jerome Park, and Williamsbridge. The Harlem 
Railroad traverses it to its northeast corner, and the Central 
Railroad passes along its western boundary, the Harlem River. 
Several trolley lines radiate from its different bridges. From 
Kingsbridge, we may gain the top of the Fordham ridge by 
means of the Boston Road, which passed through the manor 
for the greater part of its length to Williamsbridge, or we may 
take Bailey Avenue, running parallel to the railroad tracks, 
and ascend to Sedgwick Avenue by means of the Highbridge 
Road, or by means of Bailey Avenue itself to Fordham Cross- 
road. 

342 



Fordham Manor 343 

Immediately south of Fort Independence is Tetard's Hill, 
which gets its name from Dominie Tetard, who bought a farm 
of sixty acres lying south of the Boston Road from Peter 
Vermilye, in 1763, and who came to live here about three 
years later. In 1772, he opened a French boarding-school, 
probably the first in New York. As related elsewhere, he 
served during the Revolution ; after its conclusion, he became 
professor of French in the reorganized King's College, which 
became Columbia in 1784. He held this position until his 
death, in 1 787, at the age of sixty-five. All traces of the Domi- 
nie have disappeared, except the name of the hill; though, 
until the cutting through of some new streets within a few 
years, there stood an old stone archway, whose real purpose 
was unknown but which was called "Dominie Tetard's Wine 
Cellar." Under the edge of the hill, probably on the line of 
Bailey Avenue, is the site of the ancient village of Fordham. 
Just half a mile south of Fort Independence are the remains 
of Fort Number Five, a few rods east of Sedgwick Avenue at 
the southwest corner of the reservoir ; it can be easily found by 
the relic hunter. Its position was well selected, as it is within 
plain view of Number Four, besides commanding the Farmers' 
Bridge. 

Continuing our way along the ridge, we cross theKingsbridge 
Road, leading to Westchester by way of Bronxdale and the 
Bear Swamp. A short distance east of Sedgwick Avenue, 
and between it and Jerome Avenue, is the old Dutch Church 
of Fordham. The southern end of the reservoir lies on the 
north side of the Kingsbridge Road, so that the reservoir is 
within both the ancient manor and the town of Kingsbridge. 

Adjoining the Kingsbridge Road on the south, with Sedg- 
wick Avenue as their western boundary, are the grounds of 
the Roman Catholic Orphan Asylum. A society for the care 



344 The Story of The Bronx 

of Catholic orphans was formed as early as 1817 ; but it was not 
incorporated until 1852. From 1848 to 1902, the buildings of 
the Asylum stood on the block bounded by Fifth and Madison 
avenues and Fiftieth and Fifty-first streets, just north of St. 
Patrick's Cathedral. In 1899, the Bailey estate on Fordhan? 
Heights, containing twenty-eight and a half acres was bought 
for $290,000, and the erection of buildings begun. There are 
two buildings besides the old Bailey mansion. Each building 
is 385 feet long, 50 feet deep, with two wings 50 feet by 125, 
and a chapel, and is five stories high with basement. The 
Asylum is in charge of the Sisters of Charity, and the buildings 
will accommodate sixteen hundred in all. They were occupied 
in April, 1902, but neither they nor the grounds were fully in 
shape until a year later. Their position is a very commanding 
one, and on a clear day, they can be seen from the Sound; 
while from the northward and westward they dominate the 
view. Upon the grounds of the Bailey estate, about 380 feet 
northeast of the house, were the remains of Fort Number Six, 
which was also called by the British, the "King's Battery." 
In excavating for the foundations of the Asylum buildings, 
it was necessary to destroy the old redoubt; and in doing so 
several relics of the British occupation were brought to light, 
including several coins, among which were some bearing the 
imprint of George II., the oldest yet found within the Borough. 

Adjoining the Asylum on the south, at the comer of Sedg- 
wick Avenue and Fordham Road, is Webb's Academy and 
Home for Ship-builders. It occupies a commanding position, 
one hundred and fifty feet above the Harlem River, and with 
its two high towers, attracts the attention of the observer 
miles away. It is situated in a park of thirteen acres. 

The founder of the Academy and Home was the late Wil- 
liam Henry Webb, the famous naval architect and ship-builder. 




Webb's Shipbuilding Academy and Home, Fordham Heights. 




The Burial Ground of the Old Dutch Church, formerly at Sedgwick Avenue 
and Fordham Road. 



Fordham Manor 345 

Among his achievements was the Dunderberg, built in 1864 
for the United States Government, but afterwards sold to 
France and renamed the Rochambeau, in honor of the great 
French general, whose assistance was so invaluable to Washing- 
ton, with whom he passed along these heights inspecting the 
British positions in the summer of 1781. The Dunderberg 
embodied many of the most recent ideas of naval architecture 
for vessels of war, and was for many years the finest ship in 
the French navy. 

The Academy was incorporated April 2, 1889, and the erec- 
tion of the building was begun two years later. Upon its 
completion, fully furnished. May 5, 1894, it was formally 
presented to the trustees by its generous founder, together 
with an endowment for its maintenance in perpetuity. The 
first guest was admitted to the Home in October, 1893, and 
the first student to the Academy in January, 1894. 

The objects of the institution, as announced by its founder, 
are: 

"that it shall afford free relief and support to the aged, 
indigent, or unfortunate men who have been engaged in build- 
ing hulls of vessels, or marine engines for such, in any section 
of the United States, together with the wives or widows of 
such persons ; and also to furnish to any young man, a native 
or citizen of the United States, who may upon examination 
prove himself competent, of good character, and worthy, a 
gratuitous education in the art, science, and profession of ship- 
building and marine engine building, both theoretical and 
practical, together with board, lodging, and necessary imple- 
ments and materials while obtaining such education." 

The Academy and the Home have both been in constant 
use since their establishment, and classes of naval architects 
have been graduated yearly from the institution. During 



346 The Story of The Bronx 

the summer months, the students find employment in ship- 
yards, whose owners are always glad to get them. Visitors to 
the institution are admitted daily between 2 and 5 p.m. ; and 
the visitor will find many things to interest and instruct him. 

Fordham Cross-road comes down to the Harlem River 
through a break, or valley, in the ridge south of the Academy 
grounds ; at the river is Fordham, or Berrien's, Landing, an old 
stopping place for boats plying on the river. On the southeast 
corner of Fordham Road and Sedgwick Avenue formerly 
stood the old Dutch burying-ground ; the original church 
edifice stood on the north side of the road, probably within 
the grounds of Webb's Academy. Emmerick's camp lay on 
Bailey Avenue just below, and the church was used by the 
chasseurs and suffered from the ravages of war. The British 
camp is remembered in the name, Emmerick Place, which is 
a short street of one block, connecting Highbridge Road and 
Bailey Avenue. The ridge south of Fordham Road has of 
late years been called University Heights, owing to the pres- 
ence of the New York University. Fort Number Seven 
stood upon what was formerly known as the Oswald Cammann 
place, but all traces of it have disappeared. 

The New York University moved the greater part of its 
schools to this site in 1894, from the old quarters in University 
Place, Manhattan. The tract was originally twenty acres, 
costing $300,000, but other property has been added to it. 
There are a fine athletic field and track, called Ohio Field, upon 
the university grounds. The site is a particularly fine one on 
account of the elevation, which ensures good drainage and 
pure air, while the views are magnificent in all directions. 
The university is accessible by both the Central and Putnam 
railroads, and also by trolley. Some fine buildings ornament 
the grounds, the Hall of Languages and the Library being 




The Library and Hall of Fame, New York University. 




Boulder Marking the Site of Fort Number Eight on the Property of the 
New York University, Fordham Heights. 




The Archer House, or De Lancey Headquarters, which formerly Stood near the 
Junction of Sedgwick and Burnside Avenues. 











JL 


\ 


^ 




sT 




, 


..liLaaiCKfl; 


ai^l: 


5 ;.', 'i 


K/* ^ 


jt-'— 




"? ?'i 'f!,! 


i ru-i-)ifi>j " >j-. - 


^ -4il 


jK.^iv 


■ ' ' ' H*' 


^jmiM3^ 1^ V^ I ' 




■i;'; fiK 




:i:i 




■6^^^yi^^j|^ 


^^..-x-^ss^f^ 












H.| 


l«uiuLl..'jl''''**''*^'~'" ' 




m' 






nw 






i'S.-,.,'^;',--,""' '„ 









Fordham University. 



Fordham Manor 347 

most conspicuous. Attached to the Library building is an 
arcade, or cloistered way, of white marble, overlooking Sedg- 
wick Avenue, to which the title, "Hall of Fame," has been 
given. Here are inscribed on bronze tablets the names and 
records of those Americans who have been chiefly instrumental 
in making our country famous by their services as states- 
men, jurists, philanthropists, soldiers, scientists, teachers, or 
authors. That sectional lines have been altogether ignored, 
as they should be, is shown in the tablet to that great soldier, 
Robert E. Lee. The names to be inscribed were selected by 
a committee of eminent men, after there had been considerable 
newspaper discussion; but the list as finally made up caused 
a good deal of controversy, so many pet heroes of the objectors 
having been ignored. Other names are added periodically 
to those already there, — names, which, to the author, seem 
eminently entitled to the posthumous honor done them. 

At the southern end of the University grounds another 
valley breaks through to the river; this is called Burnside 
Avenue. The section south of it is called Morris Heights. 
Several fine detached residences overlook the Harlem as well 
as Burnside Avenue, though in former days there were many 
more. One of these was the Schwab residence, which was built 
in 1857, on the site of Fort Number Eight, but which was 
acquired in 1907 by the University. The mound covering 
the old fortification is marked by a boulder inscribed: 

THE SITE 

OF 

FORT NUMBER EIGHT 

I 776-1 783 

When the late Justus H. Schwab built his residence here in 
1857, the old fort was dug up and many relics were brought 



348 The Story of The Bronx 

to light which were carefully preserved. These consisted of 
cannon-balls, grape-shot, English coins, uniform buttons, 
bridle ornaments, pike tips, broken camp kettles, and other 
military paraphernalia. The buttons show that the fort was 
occupied at various times by the following British regiments, or 
detachments of them : 8th, 1 7th, 33d (Lord Cornwallis) , 37th 
(English Musketeers), 38th, 45th, 74th, and 76th (Scotch). 

It will be remembered that the manor of Fordham was left 
by the Steenwycks to the Nether Dutch Church, and that 
the church was authorized by the Provincial Assembly of 
I755> to dispose of its property to ptuchasers in fee. The 
tract upon which Niunber Eight stood was bought by Daniel 
Seacord of Yonkers, who sold it, October 14, 1766, to Benjamin 
Archer, for £630. Archer built a house, part stone and part 
wood, at a point about three hundred feet east and seventy- 
five feet north of the junction of the present Sedgwick and 
Burnside avenues. It consisted of two rooms ; and during the 
Revolution, it was the quarters of Colonel De Lancey of the 
Westchester Light Horse, and the object of frequent attacks 
by the Americans. The cantonment of De Lancey 's troopers 
was probably on the meadow at, or near, Burnside Avenue and 
Macomb's Dam Road, formerly occupied by the Berkeley 
Oval athletic field. 

When the British determined on the capture of Fort Wash- 
ington, the height above Archer's house commended itself 
to the engineers as a position which commanded the Harlem 
River, the American outwork on Laiurel Hill (Fort George), 
the Kingsbridge Road from Harlem, and the northern outworks 
of Fort Washington at Inwood, afterwards called Fort 
Tryon. Upon the arrival of the Hessians in the neighbor- 
hood in the first days of November, 1776, work was begun 
upon the redoubt; and by the fifteenth of the month, it was 



Fordham Manor 349 

ready for use. The heavy guns which were mounted upon it 
were brought up from New York. On November sixteenth, 
the attack upon Fort Washington was begun by Number 
Eight, which protected the landing of the British troops upon 
the Dyckman meadows and made the post at Laurel Hill 
untenable by the Americans. The fort had been hastily 
constructed, but after the fall of Fort Washington it was 
strengthened and maintained as an alarm post throughout 
the war. Heath says in his Memoirs: "The Enemy had a 
redoubt on the east side of Harlem creek, nearly opposite the 
fort on Laurel Hill, and under the fire of its cannon for the 
security of their advanced troops on the Morrisania side." 
Later he writes: "On the 20th of October, 1782, the enemy 
were demolishing their works at Number 8, Morrisania." It 
will thus be seen that the British maintained a garrison at 
Number Eight for about three years longer than they did at 
the other posts in the neighborhood. 

The Archer house was in the possession of Samuel Archer, 
a descendant of Benjamin, thirty-five years ago. He then 
sold it and the adjacent tract; and for many years, the 
house was unused except as a tool-house. It finally fell 
to pieces about 1890. The picture shown was taken in 
1889, and the author is indebted for it, as well as for the ac- 
count of its position and later history, to the late G. L. Dash- 
wood, Esq., of Morris Heights. It is probable that the 
pontoon bridge maintained by the British throughout the war 
for communication with Manhattan, and which was destroyed 
in one of Hull's raids, was located here, connecting the shore 
under Ntmiber Eight with that part of the meadows under 
Laurel Hill which is locally known as Huckleberry Island. 

Burnside Avenue winds its way down the steep hill towards 
the Harlem into Cedar Avenue, a continuation of Sedgwick 



350 The Story of The Bronx 

Avenue on the lower level. Here is the Morris Heights 
station of the Central and Putnam railroads ; and on the river 
bank, an extensive plant for the building of naphtha yachts 
and launches. Several of the fast torpedo boats of the 
United States Navy have also been built here, and a naval 
officer to superintend government work is usually stationed 
at the works. 

From this point southward to Washington Bridge, the ridge 
was formerly occupied by a succession of fine residences and 
estates, many of which have already found their way into 
the hands of the real estate broker. These residences were 
built between 1840 and i860, and like those on the eastern 
side of the Borough, were the homes of people of wealth, 
culture, and refinement. There were no railroads in those 
days, but access was had to this vicinity by private conveyance 
and by the boats that used to ply the Harlem River and con- 
nect at Harlem Bridge with the fast boats running to Peck 
Slip by way of the East River. The widening and improve- 
ment of Aqueduct Avenue furnish a magnificent driveway 
and boulevard from Washington Bridge. Just south of High- 
bridge is the southern line of the ancient manor, a line running 
east to the Bronx River at West Farms. 

The neighborhood of Highbridge is called Highbridgeville, 
though it extends along Devoe's Neck as far as Central Bridge. 
In the days of the river steamers, Highbridge was a favorite 
resort, and hotels and restaurants did well. The view from 
the bridge on a moonlight night was a beautiful one — to see 
the river stretching away in both directions and glittering 
in the moonlight, while the streets and avenues of northern 
Manhattan were marked out by the rows of glimmering gas 
lamps, reaching away for miles, to the upper end of Central 
Park at i loth Street, with few houses to break their continuity. 



Fordham Manor 351 

Scattered through the manor are several public parks, St, 
James, Washington Bridge, Fordham, University, Poe, Echo, 
and the larger part of Bronx Park, including the Zoological 
and the Botanical gardens. The new Grand Concourse and 
Boulevard passes through the manor from south to north 
from its starting-point at East i6ist Street. 

Poe Park lies on the Kingsbridge Road west of the Fordham 
station of the Harlem Railroad. Its name is derived from the 
poet, Edgar Allan Poe, who resided in Fordham from 1845 
to 1849. The cottage in which he lived and in which his wife 
died is not within the limits of the park; nor is it on the same 
site as when Poe occupied it. The cottage is almost obscured 
by a row of wooden flats, which shine in borrowed glory under 
the name of "Poe Villas." Since the city has gone to the 
expense of the park, the proper thing to do, probably, would 
be to buy the cottage also. The author has been informed 
that the city attempted to do this, but that the price demanded 
is excessive. The cottage is a story and a half in height, with 
the gable end toward the street. On the gable is a picture of 
a raven and the legend "Poe Cottage"; from which one might 
be led to believe that the famous poem had been written in the 
building. As a matter of fact, the Raven was written in an 
old house in West Eighty-fourth Street near Broadway, which 
was standing as late as 1890. 

The story of Poe's short and erratic life is a sad one. His 
father came from an excellent Maryland family; but, while a 
law student, he married a beautiful actress, Elizabeth Arnold, 
and went on the stage. The two parents died in Richmond, 
Virginia, within a few weeks of each other, leaving three 
destitute children, Henry, Edgar, and Rosalie. A wealthy 
gentleman, Mr. Allan, from whom Poe received his middle 
name, took charge of young Edgar and sent him to the Uni- 



352 The Story of The Bronx 

versity of Virginia after his having spent several years in an 
English school. His fast life at the University led to his ex- 
pulsion; and, having quarrelled with Mr. Allan, Poe went to 
Europe for the purpose of joining the Greeks in their fight for 
independence from Turkey. He wandered over Europe for 
a yea^, when he returned to the United States and went to 
West Point, from which he was expelled within ten months 
for his irregular conduct. He was taken into favor again by 
Mr. Allan; but another rupture followed on account of Poe's 
incivility to his benefactor's second wife, so it is said. The 
death of Mr. Allan threw Poe upon his own resources, and he 
took to literature, writing for the magazines and newspapers 
and winning several money prizes for his work, though 
the pay he received was meagre if measured by present 
standards. 

In 1835, at the age of twenty-four, he married his cousin, 
Virginia Clemm, a professional singer; and in 1837, he removed 
from Richmond to New York; but not meeting with much 
success in New York, the young couple removed to Philadel- 
phia in 1838. Here Fortune was no more favorable than 
before; and after six years they returned to New York, in 
1844. The following year, the Poes removed to Fordham on 
account of the failing health of Mrs. Poe, to whom her husband 
was devotedly attached, in order that she might get the benefit 
of the pure country air. Here they lived in poverty, the wife 
gradually fading away until January, 1847, when she died. 
Poe's mother-in-law, Mrs. Clemm, lived with them and re- 
mained at the Fordham cottage with Poe until June, 1849, 
when he went to Richmond for a few months. While on his | 
way back to New York, he died in Baltimore at the age of 
thirty-eight. The body of his wife was buried in the cemetery 
of the old Dutch Church at Fordham; but, in 1878, it was ', 



Fordham Manor 353 

removed and taken to Baltimore, where it was reinterred 
beside that of her devoted husband. 

During Poe's residence at Fordham, he was a constant 
visitor at the Macomb house at Kingsbridge and also at St. 
John's College, where he made many friends among the priests 
stationed there. Another house that he visited was that be- 
longing to Mr. Lorillard, now used by the Home for Incurables ; 
and there were two others, Duffy's saloon, now gone, and Elm 
Cottage, at the comer of Fordham Road and Webster Avenue. 
These two catered to the appetite for drink which was his 
undoing. Though worried about his wife's health, as well as 
about his financial condition, Poe seems to have presented a 
bold front to the world, as those who remembered him during 
this period spoke of him as being bright and pleasant. The 
depression under which he really labored found vent in Eureka, 
Ulalume, For Annie, and, after his wife's death, in Annabel 
Lee, three of which were written here, in Fordham. 

The centenary of Poe's birth occurred on January 10, 1909. 
It was celebrated at New York University, where his name had 
not yet been added to the "Hall of Fame," and also at the cot- 
tage where his wife had died. A bust of the poet was unveiled 
with appropriate honors in the park named in his honor, op- 
posite the cottage; and in October, 19 10, he was elected to 
the "Hall of Fame." 

Just north of the Fordham station of the Harlem Railroad 
are the extensive grounds and buildings of Fordham University. 
During Colonial and Revolutionary days, the property was 
owned by a member of the Corsa family, from whose hands it 
passed into the possession of the Watts family, and later into 
the possession of the Brevoorts. The last owner before it 
passed into the hands of the Catholic Church for educational 
purposes was John Mowatt, Esq., a wealthy gentleman of 



354 The Story of The Bronx 

New York, who erected a fine stone mansion which is^till 
used as one of the College buildings. Under the last owner 
the estate which contained about two hundred acres, was 
known as Rose Hill. The old homestead of the Corsas stood 
until 1897, upon the north side of the college campus, but was 
destroyed in that year to make way for the Auditorium, 
erected for the use of the students. During the Revolution, 
the Corsa house is said to have been frequently visited by 
Washington and other distinguished leaders; but the same 
thing is said of every house that has the least claim to antiquity, 
even though the "Father of his Country" is known to have 
never visited the neighborhood. It is stated on credible 
grounds, however, that the gallant and dashing partisan 
leader De Armond used the house on several occasions as his 
quarters when engaged in some of his raids into the British 
lines. The ancient road, connecting Kingsbridge and the 
borough-town of Westchester formerly passed through the 
college grounds. 

The Rose Hill property was acquired in 1839 by Bishop 
John Hughes of the Roman Catholic diocese of New York for 
the sum of $30,000; it comprised ninety-seven acres at that 
time. At this writing, it contains less than seventy, as por- 
tions were taken by the city for Bronx Park, and two other 
strips have been taken for railroad purposes, the last in 1899 
for an extension of the elevated railroad to Bronx Park from 
its former terminus at Pelham Avenue. St. John's College 
was formally opened on June 24, 1841, under the administra- 
tion of secular priests. It was incorporated as a university 
April 10, 1846; and the same year, the property was purchased 
by the Jesuit Fathers for $40,500; it has since remained in 
their possession and under their control. The Rose Hill 
mansion, erected in 1838, is used for office and reception pur- 



Fordham Manor 355 

poses, while the two wings attached to it contain a college hall, 
and an armory, music-room, wardrobe, and sixteen rooms 
for the infirmary. Two five-story stone bmldings furnish 
accommodations in the way of dormitories, recitation rooms, 
etc., for the older students, while St. John's Hall furnishes 
similar accommodations for the younger. In addition, there 
are St. John's Chapel, Science Hall, and the Faculty building, 
besides libraries for both instructors and students and a chapel 
for the latter. All the students are obliged to take courses 
in military instruction, both theoretical and practical, under 
the guidance of an officer of the United States Army detailed 
for the purpose. 

South of the grounds of the university was formerly situated 
the farm of the Reverend William Powell, Rector of St. 
Peter's, Westchester, from 1830 to 1849. He obtained the 
property by marriage with the widow of one of the Bayard 
family, in whose possession the farm had been formerly. Dr. 
Powell conducted here a noted boarding-school for boys, as 
well as attending to his duties as rector. South of the Powell 
farm, upon land formerly belonging to Jacob Lorillard, is 
situated what was known before annexation as the village of 
Belmont; it took its name from that of the estate. 

Lying between Third Avenue, which is here a part of the 
ancient Kingsbridge Road, and the Quarry Road, and from 
East iSist to East 184th Street, is the property of the Home 
for Incurables. This institution was incorporated in 1866, 
and is under the control of the Protestant Episcopal Chtu-ch ; 
but in admitting patients, the matter of religious belief is 
ignored. The object of the institution is to furnish a home 
for those suffering from incurable diseases and make as happy 
and comfortable as possible the last days of those who can 
never again be well. The home originally occupied the old 



356 The Story of The Bronx 

Jacob Lorillard mansion, but many additions have been made 
to keep pace with the growing needs of the institution. One 
third of the patients are treated without charge. 

To the east of Belmont were the Lorillard and Lydig estates, 
both of which were taken by the city for Bronx Park. The 
former contained the snuff mills of the Lorillards, and the 
latter, the dams and mill-ponds of the ancient De Lancey 
mills, as well as the mills themselves. 

To the north of Fordham University, but on the west side 
of the tracks of the Harlem Railroad, is located the residential 
section, called Bedford Park. It lies opposite Bronx Park; 
and to avoid confusion, the railroad company calls its station 
Bronx Park Botanical Gardens, instead of Bedford Park, as 
formerly. The station is on city property and is within the 
control of the park commissioner. The Ursuline Academy, 
founded in 1893, occupies a commanding position at Bedford 
Park. Upwards of two hundred students are accommodated 
in a building that is modern in all respects. 

In the northeast corner of the manor is the former village 
of Williamsbridge, though the name is more generally applied 
to the former village of Olinville on the east of the Bronx. 
There was a bridge here over the Bronx in very early times, 
probably in 1670, when Governor Lovelace directed that Betts 
and Tippett shoiild first assist in building the "causey" at 
Fordham before being assisted in their turn by Verveelen and 
Archer in building a bridge across the Bronx River. After 
the establishment of the post to Boston before 1680, the 
maintenance of the bridge over the stream became necessary. 
In pre-Revolutionary days, the farm adjacent to the bridge was 
owned by John Williams, and so the bridge became popularly 
known by his name. The present inadequate iron structure 
occupies approximately the same site as former bridges. Gun 



Fordham Manor 357 

Hill is an eminence to the west of the river now occupied by a 
distributing reservoir. In 1888, the waters of the Bronx 
River were impounded at North Castle in Westchester County 
by the construction of the Kensico dam, at the same time that 
a reservoir was building on Gun Hill. Water was admitted 
into the reservoir on December 4, 1888, and the distribution 
of the water to the Annexed District was begun. The reser- 
voir has a capacity of 150,000,000 gallons when it is filled to 
a depth of forty feet ; and though it has been found necessary 
to tap the Croton Aqueduct, the Gun Hill reservoir still sup- 
plies a large part of the Borough. 

To the west of the reservoir, at Van Cortlandt Street and 
Woodlawn Road, still stands the old Valentine house of 
Heath's attack, which was for many years the homestead of 
the Varian family. The old farm was cut up into building 
lots in April, 1905. 



CHAPTER XVI 



MORRISANIA 



THE first lord of the manor of Morrisania, the Honor- 
able Lewis Morris, second of the name, died in the 
spring of 1746, aged seventy- three. By his will, he 
directed that he should be buried at Morrisania, and that his 
funeral should be conducted in a manner that was Quakerish 
in its simplicity. He prohibited "any mourning dress to be 
worn on his account, as he should die when divine Providence 
should call him away, and was unwilling that his friends should 
be at the unnecessary expense, which was owing only to the 
common folly of mankind." Which is equally true to-day, 
when, to the high cost of living, is added the high cost of 
dying. To his son Lewis, he left all that part of the manor 
lying east of the Mill Brook ; to his wife, Isabella Graham, 
the remainder of the estate, lying westward of the Mill 
Brook, called "Old Morrisania"; and to his second son, Rob- 
ert Hunter Morris, he bequeathed his New Jersey estates. 

Upon the death of his mother, Lewis Morris, third of the 
name, and second manor-lord, usually called "Junior," be- 
came possessed of the whole manor. He was married twice, 
his first wife being Elizabeth Staats, by whom he had three 
sons; Lewis, the Signer of the Declaration of Independence, 
Staats Long, a general in the British army, who married 
Catherine, Duchess of Gordon, whose son was the instigator 

358 



Morrisania 359 

of the "Gordon riots" described in Dickens's Barnaby Rudge, 
and the Honorable Richard Morris, who married into the 
Ludlow family, and who was a judge of the Cotirt of Admiralty 
at the outbreak of the war. The second wife of Lewis Mor- 
ris, Junior, was Sarah Gouverneur, by whom he had one son, 
the Honorable Gouverneur Morris, and four daughters, one 
of whom, Isabella, became the wife of the Reverend Isaac 
Wilkins. 

Lewis Morris, Junior, died in 1762, at the age of sixty-four. 
By his will, dated November 19, 1760, he bequeathed to his 
eldest son Lewis "all that part of Morrisania west of the Mill 
Brook"; to his wife, "the land upon which my house stands 
west of the Mill Brook"; and to his other sons, the remaining 
part of the manor. He also directed that his son Gouverneur 
was to have the best education "that was to be had in England 
or America." The legacy of the land to the west of the Mill 
Brook carried with it the right to the use of the stream for 
milling and other purposes, so that the east bank really became 
the boundary. It is a curious fact that to-day, in consequence, 
the purchaser of a lot which lies on both sides of the bed 
of the former stream, that is, which would be crossed by the 
stream if it existed, is obliged to get a quit-claim, or release, 
of the brook from the descendants of the original legatee, in 
order that the title shall be clear and above reproach. 

Lewis became the manor-lord and continued so until after 
the Revolution. Upon the breaking out of hostilities, he be- 
came a brigadier-general in the American army, but, early 
in the war, he resigned his position to become a member of 
the Continental Congress ; and, as such, his name is affixed as a 
signer of the Declaration, as a delegate from New York. 
His brother, Staats Long, refused to perform service in 
America against his countrymen and remained in England 



360 The Story of The Bronx 

during the whole war, notwithstanding which he rose to 
high rank in the British service before his death. 

The manor-house of Lewis Morris, west of the Mill Brook, 
stood until about 1891, when it was demolished by the New 
York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad in making improve- 
ments for the Suburban branch along the Harlem River and 
Bronx Kills. It stood west of Brook Avenue, and was known 
as "Christ's Hotel." 

The most famous of the Morris family was Gouvemeur 
Morris, who was born at Morrisania, January 31, 1752. As 
a boy, he went for instruction to Dominie Tetard, from whom 
he acquired a thorough knowledge and control of the French 
language, as well as of other matters. In accordance with 
his father's directions, he received the best education to be 
obtained in America, and was graduated from King's College 
in 1768, at the age of sixteen. Subsequently, he studied law, 
and became one of the ablest and most brilliant lawyers in 
America. Upon the approach of hostilities, he became a 
member of the Provincial Congress, and, July 8, 1775, a 
member of the Committee of Safety of Westchester County. 
During the whole of the struggle with the mother country, 
he was in the active service of his country, serving it in a 
political capacity. He was a close friend and confidant of 
Washington; and between him and Hamilton, there existed 
the most intimate relations until the death of the latter as 
a result of his duel with Burr. The oration over the body of 
Hamilton, an oration famous for its power and pathos, was 
pronounced by his friend, Gouverneur Morris. 

Morris was a member of Congress during the war, and he 
was also a member of the Constitutional Convention of 1787. 
As a member of the latter body, he framed the final draft of 
the Constitution as submitted to the States for ratification; 




c 


4) 


e 


o 


J3 


m 


U 


a 


i-n 










&2 


m 


.0 


a 


C) 


'+j 




:3 


V 


u 


_+j 


p 


^ 


'■H 






^ 


^ 


"o 





, 


>. 


U 


w 


1) 



O !> 



I 



Morrisania 361 

and the beautiful, clear, and forceful English of that instru- 
ment is almost entirely his work.^ He was a Federalist in 
politics, and assisted Jay and Hamilton with tongue and pen, 
until his departure for Europe, in striving for the ratification 
of the Constitution by the several States. As a statesman, 
according to Theodore Roosevelt, Morris ranked with these 
two famous Federalists; as a financier, he ranked after the 
financier of the Revolution, Robert Morris, whose assistant 
he had been, and after Alexander Hamilton, our great first 
Secretary of the Treasury. 

Morris was a man of brilliant parts, with a rough, caustic 
tongue and pen which made him many enemies. He was an 
aristocrat born and bred, with a brusque and supercilious 
way that did not lend itself well to diplomacy. Washington 
esteemed his patriotism highly and admired his directness 
and good judgment, but declined to appoint him on some 
diplomatic mission for fear his manner would defeat the object 
of the mission by arousing the ire of those whom he would 
meet and whom it would be his duty to conciliate. He be- 
lieved in "calling a spade a spade." Even in that time of easy 
morals, Morris was conspicuous for his disregard of the opinions 
of the respectable portion of the community, and liked to shock 
people with his vagaries. 

One of his fads was to drive a pair of spirited horses without 
reins. Though repeatedly warned by his friends of the danger 
of doing so, he continued to laugh at their misgivings until 
one day in May, 1780, when his team ran away with him in 
the streets of Philadelphia, and one leg was crushed so badly 
that the surgeons thought it necessary to amputate it; in con- 
sequence, for the rest of his life, Morris v/as obliged to hobble 

' Many people confuse the United States Constitution with the United 
States Frigate Constitution, and ascribe the latter to Morris. 



362 The Story of The Bronx 

around on a wooden leg. A religious friend called upon him 
one day to sympathize with him on the loss of his leg, and to 
tell him it was all for the best, as it was an act of Divine wis- 
dom; to whom Morris replied: "My good sir, you argue the 
matter so handsomely, and point out so clearly the advantages 
of being without legs, that I am almost tempted to part with 
the other." 

During the war, his mother remained a loyalist and occupied 
the manor-house at Morrisania, or a house in New York. He 
did not see her for seven years ; but during that time, both he 
and his half-brother, Lewis, corresponded with her whenever 
opportunity offered, an act which called forth the denuncia- 
tions of their enemies, who even impugned their loyalty to 
the cause for which they were both doing so much. 

In 1788, Morris left for an extended tour in Europe, and 
was in Paris during the distressing events preceding the French 
Revolution. His advice was sought by Louis XVI. and his 
ministers, and he drew up for his Majesty an address from the 
throne. Had his judgment in other matters been followed, 
the Terror might have been averted and Louis allowed to die a 
natural death, or, at least, to have abdicated peacefully. 
Morris was at last made minister to the Court of Versailles, 
and he remained in Paris during the whole of the Reign of 
Terror, being the only foreign representative that did so. His 
experiences read with all the interest and excitement of a 
romance; and many times his life was in danger from the 
blood-thirsty mob and its leaders, whom he treated with the 
aristocratic contempt and brusqueness so peculiar to him, 
whose effect was often more irritating than soothing; yet he 
came safely through. After his supersession as minister by 
Monroe, in August, 1794, at the request of the Directory as 
a set-off to Genet's recall, Morris made an extended tour of 



Morrisania 363 

Europe, and was received everywhere with honor and consider- 
ation. In Austria, he tried to secure the release of Lafay- 
ette; but though unsuccessful, he procured for the Marquis 
many privileges that tended to mitigate the tedium of his 
confinement. 

In 1786, he bought from his half-brother Staats, the British 
general, the property Staats had inherited from their common 
father; and this, with the property inherited from his mother 
at her death, made a large estate at Morrisania. Morris 
returned to the United States in October, 1798, and soon after- 
ward erected the mansion which stood below East 133d Street, 
abreast of Cypress Avenue. In 1809, at the age of fifty-eight, 
he married Anne Gary Randolph, a sister of John Randolph 
of Roanoke, and a lineal descendant of the Indian Princess 
Pocahontas. He settled down at last to a life of middle-aged 
marital happiness. His family consisted of one son, Gouvern- 
eur, and several daughters. 

He once more interested himself in politics, and was United 
States Senator from the State of New York from 1799 to 
1 803 ; but upon the defeat of the Federalists by the Democratic- 
Republicans under Jefferson, he withdrew from politics, taking 
an exceedingly pessimistic view of the future of the country, 
which he considered had been turned over to the mercies of 
an ignorant mob. With his aristocratic birth and training, he 
could not take the same view of "the common people" that 
distinguished Lincoln and McKinley, themselves sprung 
from that source. Morris was probably the first one to ad- 
vance the idea of connecting the harbor of New York with 
the great inland seas by means of an artificial waterway, and 
he foresaw the immense trade that would accrue to the city 
as a result. He was opposed to Governor George Clinton 
politically, but the governor appointed Morris one of the 



364 The Story of The Bronx 

members of the first commission to inquire into the feasibility 
of the Erie Canal and to superintend its construction (1810). 

In person, Morris resembled Washington so closely that he 
stood to Houdin, the sculptor, as a model for Washington's 
figure. His mansion at Morrisania was open to distinguished 
persons of all kinds; among these were Louis Philippe d'Orl^ans, 
afterward King of the French, and his brothers, the Due de 
Montpensier and the Comte de Beaujolais, to whom Morris 
lent considerable money on the occasion of their visit in 1799. 
General Moreau, one of Napoleon's famous commanders, 
was also entertained at Morrisania after the downfall of the 
Emperor; and upon the visit of Lafayette in 1824, he also 
was entertained at the mansion by the young son of the 
distinguished father. 

The Gouverneur Morris house, to which many additions had 
been made by the builder's successors, commanded a magni- 
ficent view of the East River to the south, overlooking Bronx 
Kills and Randall's Island. The rooms were large and lofty, 
and upon the floors were the marks made by Morris's wooden 
leg. Some weak efforts were made at one time to preserve 
the house as a museum and the grounds in which it was 
situated as a public park; but about 1905, the property 
was secured by the railroad and the historic mansion was 
demolished. 

Randall's Island is separated from the mainland by the 
strait called Bronx Kills, and from Ward's Island on the south 
by Little Hell Gate ; the two islands were called in the Dutch 
days Little and Great Barent's islands respectively, corrupted 
after the advent of the English into Little and Great Barn 
islands. They were both farmed by Governor Van Twiller, 
and the Government had considerable difficulty in getting 
them back from him. 











The Gouverneur Morris Mansion. View from the Bronx Kills Side. 




smr.'' ■••i-2..v:'s *^^'g 



Buildings on Randall's Island. 




Morrisania, about 1861, i6oth Street at the Junction of Brook and Third Avenues. 

From an old print in the Collection of J. Clarence Davies, Esq. 




The Mott Haven Canal. 



Morrisania 365 

In ancient days, there was a ford, or wading place, between 
Verchers, or Hogg, island, as it was also called, and the 
"Maine"; and it is mentioned in the grant of Colonel Nicolls 
to John Verveelen, the Harlem ferryman, in 1666. In Rev- 
olutionary days, the pickets of the two armies used to fire upon 
each other across the strait; while the manor-house of Lewis 
Morris was at first occupied by an American outpost, and 
later, by a British one. 

Randall's Island is without the Borough, lying at the mouth 
of Harlem River. Elias Pipon bought the island in 1732, 
erected a house, and named his purchase Belle Isle; after 
fifteen years, it became Talbot's Island after a new purchaser ; 
and, in 1772, Montressor's Island, after Captain John Mont- 
ressor, who bought it in that year. He was the owner at the 
beginning of the Revolution. It was bought by Samuel 
Ogden in the spring of 1784; he sold it in the faU of the same 
year to Jonathan Randel for the sum of £24. In 1835, the 
city bought the island from Randel's executors for $50,000; 
but, wishing to do honor to the late owner, changed the orthog- 
raphy of his name to Randall. There are about one hundred 
acres on the island, which is occupied by ntunerous buildings 
devoted to the physical, mental, and moral needs of children. 
These are under the Charities Department, except the House 
of Refuge for juvenile delinquents committed by the courts. 
This is the oldest reformatory in the United States and is 
under control of the Society for the Reformation of Juvenile 
Delinquents. There are about eight hundred boys and girls 
in separate buildings, and thirty acres are set aside for their 
use. A regiilar school is maintained, as well as occupations 
in the open air, military drills, and work at different trades. 
The island has some fine trees and is beautifully laid out, 
while the buildings are, in general, of attractive architecture. 



366 The Story of The Bronx 

So important has the navigation of the river become that 
strong representations have been constantly made to the 
National Government to deepen the Bronx Kills to a depth of 
nine feet at low tide, in order to prevent the long trip around 
Randall's Island for vessels going from the East River to the 
Harlem, or in the opposite direction, 

Lewis Morris, the Signer and last manor-lord of Morrisania, 
died in 1798. His estate was divided up among his descend- 
ants, some of whom also acquired property in the old manor of 
Fordham. The land once forming the manor of Morrisania 
has been divided and subdivided until the names of the 
present owners constitute a legion. 

The development of Morrisania, at the close of the Revo- 
lution, the most sparsely settled portion of the county of 
Westchester, but to-day the most populous section of the 
Borough, was due primarily to the building of the Harlem 
Railroad, in 1842. As early as 18 16, the year he died, Gou- 
verneur Morris caused his property to be surveyed and laid 
out in farm lots by John Randall, surveyor and engineer, and 
the map recorded. This property also included a portion of 
"Old Morrisania," west of the Mill Brook, which had been 
obtained from General Staats Long Morris, the inheritor 
from his father, after the cessation of his stepmother's life 
interest. 

In 1828, Jordan L. Mott, the inventor of the coal-burning 
stove, opened a modest little factory on the plot of ground 
bounded by Third Avenue, 134th Street, and the Harlem 
River. The foundry grew to be one of large size; but by June, 
1906, the plant was too cramped in its Bronx quarters and so 
was removed to Trenton, New Jersey, 

Being impressed with the future possibilities of this section, 
Mott, with several others, bought from Gouverneur Morris, 



Morrisania 367 

Second, two hundred acres of land at $175 an acre — these 
were sections 16 to 23 on the Randall map of 1816. There is 
a story to the effect that the price was determined as follows : 
Mott, who was tax assessor, placed so high a valuation on the 
property as to call forth remonstrances from Morris, who ex- 
claimed that he would be glad to get a purchaser at the as- 
sessed value; whereupon Mott replied: "I '11 take it"; and 
so the sale was effected. 

The second Gouverneur Morris inherited the bluntness and 
disregard of pubHc opinion of his distinguished father. Upon 
being asked by an employee of Jordan L. Mott if he had any 
objection to the newly-purchased section being called Mott 
Haven, he replied: "I don't care what he calls it; while he is 
about it, he might as well change the name of the Harlem and 
call it the Jordan." A friend of the author's attended St. 
Ann's Church when a boy and remembers seeing the old 
gentleman guided into church every Sunday morning by his 
women folks, his hair and cravat awry, and possessed of a 
great bandanna handkerchief, with which, from time to time, 
he blew sonorous blasts through his nose that set the young 
folks off into convulsive giggles. At heart, he was a good, 
charitable man and exceedingly democratic; and was more 
often seen dressed like a farmer than like the fine gentleman 
he really was. It was no unusual sight to see him drive down 
to the steamer which carried the business men to the city 
beside one of his men on the seat of a dump-cart, while his 
neighbors drove in elegant equipages with their coachmen 
in livery. 

The Mott Haven canal lies between Third and Park avenues 
and it allows canal-boats to pass from the Harlem River as far 
as 138th Street. The lower part of the canal was laid out by 
Jordan L. Mott, about 1850. It followed the course of a 



368 The Story of The Bronx 

small stream which drained the ground on either side as far 
as 144th Street, then called Main Street on the map of Mott 
Haven, the water of which passed through a sluiceway at Van 
Stoll Street, the former name of 138th Street, which was a 
soHd street across the brook. By deed of November i, 1864, 
Mott conveyed the property contiguous to the stream to a 
man named Bryant, who, in 1868, began the extension of the 
canal to Main Street, having an understanding with the Mor- 
risania town authorities that there was to be a bridge over 
Van Stoll Street. 

In 1869, the property passed into the hands of Rider and 
Conkling, the owners of about six hundred lots in Mott Haven, 
who proposed to complete the canal to Main Street; but they 
at once met with opposition from the residents and landowners 
of the vicinity, on the ground of the liability of the canal's 
becoming a source of malaria and a nuisance. To meet these 
objections, Rider and Conkling made proposals to the village 
of Morrisania, and were permitted to construct the canal under 
an agreement by which they were to maintain a turn-table 
bridge at Van Stoll Street, to dredge out the canal and bulk- 
head it, to build and keep in repair other bridges crossing 
the canal, and to fill in the canal at their own expense on the 
town's order, should it become a public nuisance. They 
further agreed to permit the town to empty its sewage into 
the canal; and the town and its successor, the city of New 
York, so disposed of the sewage until the construction of 
the Rider Avenue sewer gave them another outlet to the 
river. 

The owners failed to bulkhead the canal as agreed, and the 
mud banks frequently caved in. Locks were constructed, 
which prevented the rise and fall of the tide ; so that the canal 
became an actual cesspool in which the bodies of dead animals 



Morrisania 369 

and other refuse floated for days. The canal was declared a 
public nuisance by the boards of health of both Morrisania 
and New York; and, after annexation, by the Park Depart- 
ment, by the Department of Street Improvements, by the 
Board of Estimate, and by other public bodies. A street was 
officially laid out to take the place of the canal; and upon the 
opening and grading of 138th Street by the city of New York, 
the Legislature of 1896 authorized the construction of a bridge 
on that street over the canal. The street soon became one 
of the most important thoroughfares in the Borough, as it 
was the principal outlet for the coal, lumber, and building ma- 
terial yards in this locality, as well as the-approach to the Mott 
Haven station of the railroad, and to the Madison Avenue 
Bridge. When the trolley lines were added to the usual traffic, 
the old, narrow, wooden bridge over the canal became wholly 
inadequate, and the street became badly congested at that 
point. 

The fight against the canal lasted for over a quarter of a 
century; and still it existed, the authorities failing either to 
close the canal and abate the nuisance, or to build the bridge 
authorized by law. This was due to two causes: first, the 
claim of the owners that their vested rights could not be in- 
terfered with, and second, the enormous poHtical power wielded 
by the North River Electric Light and Power Company, which 
used the canal for business purposes. The claims of the owners 
as to vested rights were disposed of by the courts ; and with the 
change in administration in New York, the electric company 
lost its pull, and the work of filling in the canal from 144th 
Street down was begun in June, 1901. In February, 1903, 
the Dock Department built a bulkhead at 138th Street; and 
the work of grading and curbing Canal Place, as the new street 

is called, was completed in August, 1903. The materials 
24 



370 The Story of The Bronx 

used for filling in came from the subway excavations a few 
blocks above. ^ 

The canal at present extends 650 feet from the Harlem River 
to 135th Street, where there is a lifting steel bridge, and six 
hundred feet farther to 138th Street. It is lined with coal 
elevators and bunkers. The accompanying view was taken 
from the bridge at the first-named street. 

Adjoining the canal on the west and extending to Park 
Avenue, with the Harlem River and 135th Street as its other 
boundaries, is the Harlem Terminal of the Erie, Baltimore, 
and Ohio, New Jersey Central, Philadelphia and Reading, 
and Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western railroads. The 
yard was opened for business on July i, 1898, as an uptown 
freight station for these roads for the collection and distribu- 
tion of local freight. The capacity of the yard is one hundred 
and fifty cars, which are brought on floats by way of the East 
River from the terminals at Jersey City and Hoboken. The 
yard has no track connection with the Harlem Railroad, 
which it almost adjoins, nor with the New York, New Haven, 
and Hartford, a few blocks east. The yard occupies the site 
that was suggested by the North Side Board of Trade as that 
for a great union passenger station. 

The construction of the Coles bridge over the Harlem at 

Third Avenue led to the settlement of a small village, or 

hamlet, at its northern end, lying east of Third Avenue in 

the Borough. This was commonly known as Morrisania for 

many years, though later taking the name of North New York. 

By 1855, there was quite a number of small villages scattered 

about the ancient manor, then within the township of West 

^ The author is indebted for the greater part of the above account to J. 
Homer Hildreth, Esq., attorney for the owners of the canal, and to Albert 
E. Davis, Esq., former president of the North Side Board of Trade, who 
led the fight against the canal to a successful termination. 



Morrisania 37 1 

Farms, due to the fact that Gouverneur Morris, Second, and 
the other proprietors had begun to sell their lands to the in- 
coming tide of Germans and others ; but primarily to the con- 
struction of the Harlem Railroad. On December 7, 1855, 
the township of Morrisania was reformed, following practi- 
cally the old manor lines. In 1864, the village of Morrisania 
was incorporated. The township embraced the villages of 
Mott Haven, North New York, Port Morris, Wilton, East 
Morrisania, Old (or Central) Morrisania, West Morrisania, 
Melrose, South Melrose, East Melrose, Woodstock, Claremont, 
Eltona, and Devoe's Neck. Several of these were named 
after the adjoining estates, thus, Claremont was the estate of 
Martin Zboroski. 

As we wander through Morrisania to-day, we find the same 
network of solidly built-up streets and blocks that we would 
find in Manhattan, except on the eastern and western edges, 
where we still find rural conditions. Yet so convinced are 
some people that the Borough is still rural that they talk of 
living in the country, even when it happens to be Wendover 
Avenue, where there are more adults and children — children 
especially — to the square inch than in almost any other place 
in the city. 

In the northwest corner of the township, there used to be a 
small stream south of Highbridge which was the dividing 
line between the Turneur patent and the lands of Archer and 
Morris. It ran from about the junction of Ogden Avenue 
and Woolf Street into the Harlem. This latter street gets 
its name from the Woolf family, whose farm was situated 
along the southern line of the manor of Fordham. The an- 
cestor of the family was a Hessian soldier named Anthony 
Woolf, who found this country so much to his liking that he 
remained here after the Revolution, and acquired title to his 



372 The Story of The Bronx 

farm by his industry and frugality. The stream has long since 
disappeared within a sewer. In the river near where the 
stream emptied was Crab, or "Crabbe," island of the ancient 
deeds and patents. Turneur's land lay between the Harlem 
and Cromwell's Creek, and was called Nuasin by the Indians, 
though better known as Devoe's Point, or Neck. The Devoes 
were of Huguenot extraction, and one of them still lives in 
Highbridgeville in an old homestead built about 1804; others 
of the name settled in both Yonkers and New Rochelle. 
Ogden, Woody Crest, and Sedgwick avenues lead south over 
the neck to the junction with Jerome Avenue, which was 
formerly called Central Avenue. 

Opposite Macomb's Dam Park, on Jerome and Woody 
Crest avenues, is the fine edifice of the American Female 
Guardian Society, the Home for the Friendless, with a bronze 
tablet bearing the dates of 1 834-1 901. This is a charitable 
organization which cares for children committed by the courts; 
for boys under ten, and girls under fourteen years of age. It 
also provides homes for its charges and adopts them into 
private families, besides conducting industrial schools in 
different parts of the city. 

Along the river front, between Central Bridge and the 
elevated railroad bridge at Eighth Avenue, are located the 
boat club-houses of the rowing associations that formerly 
lined the Harlem shore between the Third and Fourth Avenue 
bridges, but which were obliged to move to this location on 
account of the river bulkheads in their former position. Going 
north over Jerome Avenue, this part being a portion of the 
Macomb's Dam Road, we come to several avenues leading 
to the top of the neck. East i6ist Street is the principal 
thoroughfare leading to the east and south; and by means of 
its trolley line, we may reach Franz Sigel Park, the entrance to 




Lorelei Fountain, or Heinrich Heine Monument, Mott Avenue and East i6ist 
Street, at the Beginning of the Concourse. 



1 


1 i-MM-^i^^^^^dlB 


i 

^ 1 


HI 


RHPRe^^^^ .^^^^lip|^PP9^PPI|pH|BMH8iS|^nBinl|[^P^nH^8H^pa 


V 


H|^%/ 






^fi' 


vf*^ 


^m 


^ 


iMK 


1 >t>i||H 


The 


Cromwell House, near Jerome Avenue, above Central Bridge. 





Morrisania 373 

the Grand Concourse, and the Lorelei, or Heinrich Heine, 
fountain, over whose acceptance by the city so much fuss was 
made in 1893 and subsequent years. 

The statue is the work of Professor Ernst Herter, a famous 
German sculptor, and was originally intended for erection 
at Dusseldorf, Heine's native place; but it was refused there 
on account of Heine's being a Jew, and also on account of the 
fact that he had satirized the ruling houses of the various 
German states and principalities. It was then purchased by 
some of the citizens of New York of German extraction or 
ancestry, and offered to the city in 1893. Then arose a bitter 
and acrimonious discussion, which lasted for several years. 
The statue was at first rejected on the question of its suita- 
bility and artistic worth ; but there is no doubt Heine's nativity, 
both as a Jew and a German, played considerable part with 
the opponents of the monument. The demand on the part 
of the monument committee for its erection in the most 
prominent place in New York, the entrance to Central Park 
at Fifth Avenue, where the Sherman statue stands, was dis- 
regarded; and the fountain, as a sort of compromise, was 
relegated to the Borough. The task of erecting it was begun 
on February i, 1899, and the unveiling took place on the 8th 
of July following. Shortly afterward, some vandal — actuated 
by anti-Semitism, anti-Germanism, an objection to the nudity 
of the symbolic female figures, or, perhaps, out of a spirit of 
viciousness — ^very seriously defaced the figures, putting the 
city to an expense of nearly two thousand dollars to repair 
them. For a long time afterward, a police officer was kept on 
guard night and day. The position of the statue at the en- 
trance to the Concourse will, in time, be almost as prominent 
as that originally asked for it. 

Immediately north of the Heine monument is a statue of 



374 L'he Story of The Bronx 

Louis J. Heintz, the Commissioner of Street Improvements 
to whom the Concourse is due. A bronze statue of Fame is 
writing the name and deeds of the commissioner upon 
the granite pedestal; but after looking at the statue above, 
one comes to the conclusion that modem dress does not lend 
itself readily to artistic expression or reproduction. 

Below i6ist Street and close to Jerome Avenue is the bulk- 
headed tidal basin of Cromwell's Creek. The former street 
crosses it on a causeway through which a couple of large iron 
pipes permit the ebb and flow of the tide in the part of the 
stream which has not yet been filled in. 

A short distance above 165th Street, on the west side of 
Jerome Avenue, is the site of the famous road-house of a gener- 
ation ago, "Judge Smith's." When Central Avenue was the 
great driveway — this was before the Speedway — the road- 
house did a rushing business. A standing offer of the house 
was a magnum of champagne to the first sleigh that came up 
from Macomb's Dam Bridge on its own runners when there 
was a snowfall at the beginning of winter. Almost in front of 
the road-house, in the valley of the brook on the east side, is the 
old Cromwell house, a dilapidated structure built of stone and 
rapidly going to decay. It was occupied by market gardeners 
for a long time ; and it seems to be the fate of all the old houses 
in the Borough to fall into the hands of German gardeners. 

Most of the families of Cromwells in America are descended 
from Colonel John Cromwell, a brother of the Lord Protector 
Oliver. John Cromwell, son of the colonel, emigrated first 
to Holland, probably at the time of the Restoration, whence 
he came to New Netherland. He settled at Westchester; 
for under date of 1685, we find him exchanging six acres of 
meadow land with Thomas Hunt for eight acres of upland on 
Castle Hill Neck, which, in consequence, was called Cromwell's 



Morrisania 375 

Neck. The Cromwell family also became a prominent one 
in White Plains. 

James Cromwell, a descendant of the first settler in America, 
was born November 6, 1752, and in his younger days worked 
for Lewis Morris at Morrisania. This was probably about 
1770; but, as General Morris had established a mill on Crom- 
well's Creek, or Mentipathe, as the Indians called it, in 1760, 
it is fair to presume that the house was built for the use of 
the miller about the earlier date. However, that may be, 
the creek received its name from James Cromwell and has 
retained it ever since. The house was not far away from the 
probable road, or lane, connecting Fordham with the Mor- 
risania manor-house, so it was frequently visited, if not oc- 
cupied, by the British. An old resident of the neighborhood 
told the author that he had heard his grandfather relate how 
the occupants of the house used to fire from its windows at 
the flocks of wild geese flying overhead. James Cromwell 
lived here for several years, and, after the Revolution, went 
into the grocery business in New York, moving later to Orange 
County, where he died. 

The central part of the town was occupied by a number 
of mansions and estates, few of which remain ; if so, the houses 
have been converted to such base uses as to be unrecognizable. 
The Morrisania town-hall was located at Third Avenue and 
1 60th Street. Here was transacted the business of the four 
wards into which the town was divided. The old town-hall 
was used as a police station-house for a long time after annex- 
ation imtil replaced by the present structure occupied since 
November 21, 1905. A block above at, i6ist Street, there is 
in course of construction a fine stone court-house. We may 
say with the ancient chroniclers, that the memory of man 
runneth not to the contrary as to when it was not in course of 



376 The Story of The Bronx 

construction; and at the rate at which it is progressing, the 
historian of a century hence may repeat the above statement 
and still be correct. In proportion, its cost will probably 
equal that of the Capitol building of the State at Albany. 
Perhaps it will be completed about the same time as the new 
county court-house in Manhattan, if ever. 

Lucy Randall Comfort, a well-known writer of children's 
stories, a generation or more ago, lived on Franklin Avenue, 
one of the oldest streets in Morrisania. Henry B. Dawson, 
the historian, formerly lived in the eastern part of the town; 
he has the posthumous honor of having a street named after 
him. Dawson was a wonderful man at research; and his 
statements, based upon his authorities, which he nearly always 
gave, were very frequently opposed to the traditional ideas 
of matter and things; and, in consequence, he was often en- 
gaged in controversial correspondence with others, in which 
he seldom came out second best. His accuracy was recognized 
and appreciated, and so most of his statements are accepted 
without further confirmation. He was the author of many 
historical works; and, after the death of Mr. Valentine, he 
contributed the historical matter for the Manual of the Common 
Council. George H. Bristow and Francis H. Nash, both 
musicians and composers, were also residents of Morrisania. 
Among the very earliest recollections I have are the Sunday 
visits of the former to Mount Vernon, to visit his friends, 
the AylyflEe brothers, both of whom were musicians, and one 
of whom, James, was the ringer of Trinity's chimes for a great 
many years. 

Another resident of the Borough at one time was the Hon. 
Peter H. Wendover, after whom was named the avenue con- 
necting Claremont and Crotona parks. While a member of 
Congress, he introduced a bill to regiilate the shape and design 



Morrisania 377 

of the national flag, which, under the old additions of a star 
and a stripe for each new State, was becoming of very awkward 
shape. The law stated that, after July 4, 18 18, the flag 
should contain twenty stars for the number of States then form- 
ing the Union and thirteen stripes, alternate white and red, 
and that, upon the admission of a new State, the constellation 
should be increased by one star on July Fourth following 
such admission, so that the stripes would show the original 
thirteen States and the number of stars the number of States 
then in the Union. Congressman Wendover, then, may be 
said to be the father of the present flag. 

Crotona Park, containing the Borough Hall for the offices of 
the Borough government, lies near the upper end of the town- 
ship; the park was taken from both Morrisania and West Farms. 
Just beyond, in Tremont, the unfortunate Charlotte Temple 
is said to have lived ; but she seems to have had as many stop- 
ping places as Washington or a modem flat dweller, as the 
chroniclers of Manhattan give quite a list of her various homes. 

It was the original intention of the "New" Parks Com- 
mission of 1883-84 to have named the park Bathgate Park 
after the family from whom the property was obtained. It 
seems that the Bathgates had some dispute with the Com- 
mission's engineer, and he determined not to perpetuate the 
name of the family in the new park; he therefore manufac- 
tured the name of Crotona from Croton. The ancient and 
classical Crotona — ^the home of the philosopher Pythagoras — 
was a Greek colony located in Southern Italy, whose athletes 
were famous throughout the Grecian world, and who were 
many times victors at the Olympic Games. In view of the 
amount of space in the park given up to tennis-courts, base- 
ball, and athletic fields, the name of Crotona appears to be 
particularly applicable. 



378 The Story of the Bronx 

The Southern Boulevard, laid out during the Tweed regime, 
extends from Port Morris to Bronx Park at i8ist Street. 
It was lined with trees, at first, but these have been sadly- 
neglected, so that most of them have died. The lower part is 
given over to factories, the middle part, as far as Westchester 
Avenue, still has more vacant lots than occupied ones; but 
the section above Westchester Avenue is building up very 
rapidly. This is due to the elevated portion of the subway, 
which passes through the Boulevard. 

Port Morris was practically an island at high tide in the 
olden days. Gouvemeur Morris, Second, built a causeway 
across the meadows, about on the line of 138th Street, so that 
people and horses could pass over dryshod. This was in the 
fifties of the last century ; and it is said he did this principally 
to give employment to some of the poor and distressed people 
of the neighborhood, so that it was a case of practical charity. 

During the Revolution, the British frigate Hussar went 
down off Port Morris, then called Stony Island. She was 
laden with American prisoners and treasure, the latter, so 
tradition says, the pay of the British army in New York. 
Many companies have been formed to get the sunken treasure, 
but more money has been sunk in these enterprises than has 
been, or ever will be, recovered. Divers have brought to the 
surface bits of the old hull, which are easily gotten, as the 
iron work has all rusted away, a few coins, and various inter- 
esting relics in the way of chain-shot, bullets, pieces of copper, 
etc.; but the treasure, if there be any, has thus far escaped 
them. 

Lincoln Hospital lies near the Southern Boulevard at 141st 
Street. Wilton was a small village to the west of this section 
and was, in the sixties, a favorite place of residence for actors, 
of whom there was quite a settlement. 



Morrisania 379 

On June 15, 1904, the excursion steamer, General Slocum, 
took on board about two thousand passengers from the German 
Lutheran churches of the east side of Manhattan for a trip 
up the Sound to a picnic ground on Long Island. While 
passing through Hell Gate in the East River, the steamer took 
fire; but her captain, instead of attempting to land at once, 
headed her up the river and beached her on North Brother 
Island, off Port Morris. The vessel was inadequately pro- 
vided with life preservers, so that many of those who sprang 
into the water to escape the flames were drowned. Notwith- 
standing the heroic effort of many people who at once went 
to the rescue, at least one thousand of the passengers, con- 
sisting of men, women, and children, were either drowned or 
burnt to death. The exact number has never been definitely 
fixed; but the disaster occasioned a greater loss of life than any 
other accident that has occurred during the whole history of 
the city. 



CHAPTER XVII 

WEST FARMS 

THE original patent of West Farms comprised the terri- 
tory between the Fordham Hne on the north, the 
Bronx River on the east, the Sound on the south, 
and Bungay Creek and Morrisania on the west. Its eariier 
history is given elsewhere. In 1846, it was made into a 
township, being formed from Westchester and including 
Morrisania and Fordham. Morrisania was taken from West 
Farms in 1856 and formed into a separate township. 

The intersection of Westchester Avenue and the Southern 
Boulevard was called Fox's Comers, and it is still locally 
known as such. It received its name from William Fox, a 
wealthy Quaker merchant of New York, who married into the 
Leggett family and thus became possessed of the property, 
some of which is still owned by his descendants, the Tiffany 
family. To the east of the Corners, the late Colonel Richard 
M. Hoe, the inventor of the rotary printing-press, had a 
magnificent country place, which he called Brightside. The 
locality is at present in a transition state; for, though there 
are a great many apartments and flats, there are still more 
vacant lots. The old estates have been cut up, and very few 
of the elegant mansions of the middle of the last century re- 
main to show us how the well-to-do merchants of that epoch 
used to live. 

South of the Comers, the Hunt's Point road leads down to 

the East River. The point was a part of the West Farms 

patent of 1668, and received its name from Thomas Hunt, 

380 



West Farms 381 

a son-in-law of Edward Jessup. The Indian name of the neck 
was Quinnahung; and it is also spoken of in the early deeds and 
grants as the " Great planting field, or neck." It lies between 
the Bronx River and the Sackwrahung Creek, which Lewis 
Morris says in a deed of 1740 to his father-in-law, James 
Graham, is falsely so called but which should be called Wig- 
wam Brook. But we should bear in mind that there was a 
strip of land here, called the "debatable land," in dispute 
between Morris and the heirs of the West Farms patentees, 
and that Morris would naturally not admit the slightest thing 
that would be of advantage to his adversaries. The more 
westerly portion of the "Planting neck" came into possession 
of Gabriel Leggett in 1679, through his wife Elizabeth, a 
daughter of John Richardson, one of the original patentees; 
this is the part now known as Barretto's Point. Thomas 
Hunt and John Richardson both had houses on the point; 
for in a contract between them of August 12, 1669, for the 
division of the come field neck, the houses are mentioned. 

A trolley line, inaugurated in the spring of 191 1, now runs 
down Hunt's Point Avenue, almost to the end of the neck, 
which it will reach in time. As late as 1906, the point retained 
its rural character, with several houses of two generations ago 
still standing. The most prominent was the Spofford place 
with its beautifully kept grounds ; but most of these old man- 
sions have disappeared or are poorly kept up. The part of the 
neck near the Southern Boulevard is fairly well built up ; a,nd 
further operations will be started when necessary. The city 
has a site for a school-house to accommodate the children of 
the point ; it is now occupied by a portable building, but a fine 
edifice will be erected in the near future. Beyond Lafayette 
Avenue, the neck still remains a meadow land, though some 
of the streets are laid out and are being graded. 



382 The Story of The Bronx 

Not far from the end of the neck, we see a heavily wooded 
knoll with several white monuments gleaming through the 
foliage. This is the ancient burial place of the Hunt, Leggett, 
and Willett families, now preserved as a public park under the 
name of Rodman Drake Park. It is stated that George 
Tippett, or Tibbett, the purchaser, with William Betts, of the 
Betts and Tippett tract of the old patroonship of Adrien Van 
der Donck, is also buried here. 

While we may be interested in deciphering some of the more 
ancient and crumbling tombstones, our particular interest 
lies in the white marble monument nearest the roadway, 
under which are the mortal remains of the poet of The Bronx 
and of The American Flag, — Joseph Rodman Drake. An 
iron fence is supposed to keep off vandals, but the chipped 
condition of the stone shows that the iconoclast has not been 
deterred from following his favorite pursuit, a pursuit that 
should shame a savage. The monument bears the following 
inscription : 

"sacred 

to the Memory 

of 

JOSEPH R. DRAKE, M.D. 

who died Sept. 21st 

1820 

Aged 25 Years 

None knew him but to love him, 

Nor named him but to praise. 

RENOVATED BY THE 
BROWNSON LITERARY UNION 

July 25, 1891."^ 

' The Brownson Literary Union was organized as a debating society in 
1888; it resolved itself into the Brownson CathoHc Club in 1894. 




The Grave of Joseph Rodman Drake, Hunt's Point. 




rhe Hunt House (1688), or the " Grange," the Residence of Joseph Rodman Drake, 

Hunt's Point, 



West Farms 383 

Joseph Rodman Drake was born in the city of New York, 
August 7, 1795. He studied medicine and became a physician. 
He married SarahEckford, the daughter of a wealthy merchant, 
which marriage placed him in easy circumstances. The 
young couple made a journey to Europe; but soon afterward, 
Drake's health began to fail; and, after spending the winter 
of 1819 in New Orleans in the vain hope of benefit, he returned 
to New York, where he died of consumption in 1820, at the age 
of twenty-five, leaving one child, a daughter. He was of 
Westchester County extraction, the names of Rodman and 
Drake being those of settlers prominent in Colonial days. His 
favorite residence was at Hunt's Point, where he occupied the 
"Grange," a rambling and picturesque old structure, whose 
oldest portion dates from 1688 (perhaps from 1669), when 
Thomas Hunt received one hundred acres from his father 
Thomas, who had married Elizabeth, daughter and heiress 
of Edward Jessup. The Bronx River constitutes the eastern 
boundary of the point, and it was along its banks that Drake 
used to stroll and find inspiration for his poetic genius, 

That he did possess the true fire of poetic genius, his few 
poems undoubtedly show. Even as a boy, he wrote poetry. 
The most famous of his poems, other than The American Flag, 
is The Culprit Fay. It is stated that this poem was written 
within three days to refute an assertion made by his friends, 
James Fenimore Cooper and Fitz-Greene Halleck, that the 
rivers of America furnished no such romantic associations as 
those of Scotland, and that no story dealing with fairies could 
be entertaining without introducing a human being to arouse 
the interest of the reader. The poem is dainty and exquisite, 
and shows Drake's appreciation of the small beauties of nature, 
which, in these days, we pride ourselves in discovering under 
the high-sounding title of "Nature Study," just as if no one 



384 The Story of The Bronx 

had ever done anything of the kind before. Though the 
scene of the poem is laid in the Highlands of the Hudson, 
its chief associations are with the salt water, "the poet drawing 
his inspiration from his familiar haunt on the Sound, at Hunt's 
Point." 

The best known of his poems is The American Flag; and 
this alone would have made him famous. The verses are 
magnificent in their glowing patriotism and glory in the flag. 

Drake's most intimate friend was Fitz-Greene Halleck, 
whose whole life was affected by the early death of his gifted 
friend. The first stanza of Halleck's poem on the death of 
Drake is exquisite, and from it are taken the two lines placed 
upon the tomb, though thee is changed to him. 

" Green be the turf above thee, 
Friend of my better days; 
None knew thee but to love thee, 
Nor named thee but to praise." 

Many years after Drake's death, Halleck visited the grave 
of his colleague in the Croaker Papers with General James 
Grant Wilson; to whom he remarked that his dearest wish 
was to be laid by the side of his friend when it came his ttu"n 
to die, and that if it ever became necessary to remove Drake's 
body, it shotild be laid beside his. Halleck died in 1867 and 
was buried at Guilford, Connecticut. The plan of street 
improvements of 1903 took no cognizance of the ancient 
cemetery and proposed to cut two streets through it. In 
view of this fact, in September of that year, a number of gentle- 
men proposed to exhume the body of Drake and reinter it by 
the side of Halleck in accordance with the expressed wish of 
the latter. The scheme met with strong opposition from the 
North Side Board of Trade and the literary societies of the 



West Farms 385 

Borough; and their exertions resulted in the alteration in the 
lines of the proposed streets near the grave, and the formation 
there of a public park. This is eminently proper; as Drake 
was bom in New York and lived and died here, and his body- 
should continue to lie near the Bronx, which he so dearly loved. 

At the end of the point, there is under construction some 
fourteen hundred feet of docks. Near the south end of the 
point, we come across an old, weather-beaten and dilapidated 
building, the Hunt mansion, or "Grange," in which Drake 
used to live. At the end of the building is an octagonal tower 
which serves as a beacon to the pilots on the East River and 
has thus gained for the old mansion the name of the "Pilot 
House." The old homestead and farm have been occupied 
for many years by German market gardeners who rented them 
from a land company that owned this portion of the neck. 
The original part of the house was of stone with a great stone 
chimney and Dutch doors. The havoc of the winter snows 
and summer rains has wrecked the old place and brought it 
in these last years to a melancholy state of dilapidation. 
Before us is the mouth of the Bronx River, with the low shores 
of Cornell's Neck on the opposite side, and beyond that over 
the East River, the high hills of Long Island ; to the southward 
lie Leggett's Point, Port Morris, the Brother Islands and 
Riker's Island. The waters of the river and the passing vessels 
constitute an enchanting picture which fully accounts for 
Drake's fondness for the place as a residence. 

Retracing our steps to beyond the ancient cemetery, we take 
a road to the left and visit Barretto's Point. This received 
its name from Francis Barretto, a merchant of New York, 
who settled here many years ago, and who represented West- 
chester County in the Assembly for several terms. The point 
was called Waddington's Point at the time of Mr. Barretto's 

25 



386 The Story of The Bronx 

purchase. The large stone mansion and the estate of Mr. Bar- 
retto were called " Blythe Place " ; the mansion was burned down 
years ago, and the remains of the house have been removed 
until the top of the foundations is even with the ground. A 
mansion belonging to another member of the family still stands 
and is occupied by a German truck farmer. On the neck there 
is located the old burying-ground of the slaves belonging to 
the Hunt and Leggett families, and also an old oak upon 
which, according to tradition, the British used to hang the 
Whig fonagers and spies who were so unfortunate as to fall 
into their hands. Lafayette Avenue leads toward the south- 
west to Morrisania, and commemorates the fact, so it is said, 
that General Lafayette passed over the lane on his way to 
,/ Boston when he visited the United States in 1824. In a deed 

I' of May 3, 1804, mention is made of "Bocket's cot, or landing 

/ place," on Barretto's Point, and it is also mentioned in later 

deeds. It is supposed the term " cot " used here means coz^e. 

In December, 1908, the American Bank Note Company 
obtained a block at the entrance of Barretto's Point for the 
purpose of erecting their shops and factories; these were com- 
pleted in 191 1, and give employment to over two thousand 
persons. For several years before this date, the most promin- 
ent building in the locality was the Monastery of Corpus 
Christi, established in 1889, and maintained principally by 
John D. Crimmins, Esq., as a memorial to his wife. 

Between Barretto's Point and Port Morris is Oak Point, 
until 1905 a pleasure resort for the residents of the Borough 
who liked the kind of pleasure to be obtained here. It is now 
used by the New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad 
for freight purposes. It was formerly known as Leggett's 
Point, it being within the debatable land already referred to. 
The old tree-lined lane which used to lead to the point has 



West Farms 387 

disappeared, and its place has been taken by Leggett Avenue, 
a very important thoroughfare for trucking purposes. 

In colonial days, the point was called Jeafferd's Neck; and 
it was in the house of Alderman Leggett on this neck that 
Major Baremore was captured by De Armond. Later, the 
house was occupied by Colonel Fowler, and it was destroyed 
by fire upon the occasion of a dinner-party given by the British 
officer to the loyalists of the vicinity. Leggett's house occu- 
pied the site of the Graham house. The property between 
Bound and Wigwam brooks was granted by Judge Morris to 
his father-in-law, James Graham, Attorney-General of the 
Province, on April 2, 1740; Mr. Graham died here in his house 
on Jeafferd's Neck, in 1767, By his will, dated March 13, 
1767, the property was left to his wife during the term of her 
natural life, after which it was to be sold by his executors for 
the benefit of his children. It was so sold later, and it has 
passed" through the hands of many owners from that time to 
the present, being divided up among several owners. Thus, 
Joshua Waddington owned part of it from 1808 to 1828; and 
the same land constituted a trust for many years for Anna 
Maria Julia Coster, the wife of Francis Barretto; another 
part, including the point, came back into the possession of 
William H. Leggett under deeds of February 8, 1830, and April 
I, 1 83 1. The Leggett family retained possession of the prop- 
erty, which was called "Rose Bank," until near the middle 
of the last century, when it was bought by Benjamin Whitlock, 
a wealthy grocer of New York, who was also interested in the 
cotton business. The old Leggett mansion was completely 
renovated, a prominent feature being the subterranean vaults 
and cellars for the storage of wine. It is said that the house 
was almost rebuilt of stone imported from Caen, France. In 
the days before the Civil War, the mansion was the scene of a 



388 The Story of The Bronx 

lavish hospitality; and the generation of bon vivants just 
passed away were frequent guests at its generous board. With 
the Civil War and the downfall of slavery, cotton ceased to 
be king, and the place was closed by its impoverished owner, 
and given over to nature. The dilapidated appearance of 
the house, and the tangled masses of weeds in the extensive 
grounds which had been planted with fine trees and plants of 
all kinds and lavishly cared for, gained for it the name of 
"Whitlock's Folly." 

After the death of Mr. Whitlock, it was transferred by deed 
from his widow to Innocencio Casanova, a Cuban patriot, 
under date of November i, 1867, for a consideration of 
$150,000. The first struggle for Cuban independence was 
then in progress, and the house became a rendezvous for the 
supporters of "Cuba Libre." It is stated that its great cel- 
lars became storehouses for powder, rifles, and other munitions 
of war, which were smuggled aboard the vessels which stole 
in and out of the creeks contiguous to the house, and which 
sailed away on secret, filibustering expeditions to the "Ever 
Faithful Isle." It is also said that the ill-fated Virginius 
took on board her unfortunate crew here. With the downfall 
of the rebellion, the visits of the dark-skinned, mysterious- 
looking men ceased, and the house was deserted ; while whispers 
of murdered Spanish spies and of ghosts and strange and un- 
accountable noises in the vacant house filled the neighborhood. 

On October 2, 1885, the property came into the hands of a 
Mr. Cheseborough, and three years later, into those of Fred- 
erick Beck, the consideration being $200,000. It then went 
into the hands of an agent of the East Bay Land and Improve- 
ment Company, May 10, 1890. The same company acquired 
in that year 314 acres of land, including Hunt's and Barretto's 
points and other land in the vicinity. It is interesting to 



I 



West Farms 389 

know that in a suit brought by the city of New York for the 
water rights of all this property, the company won its case 
upon the old Indian deeds and the ancient patents and grants 
of the early colonial days to the original white owners. The 
Whitlock, or Casanova, house was, in 1904, an enormous 
square, barn-like building, visible from all directions, as it 
stood upon an elevation and no trees obstructed the view. 
So many weird tales were told about the old mansion that its 
demolition was watched with intense interest. Its site is now 
occupied by a large piano factory, and part of the grounds 
has become the property of the railroad. The name of Casa- 
nova is perpetuated in the near-by station of the Subtu-ban 
branch of the New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad. 
The former village of West Farms is situated about three 
miles from the mouth of the Bronx River, to which point the 
tide rises and falls. It is believed that Jonas Bronk established 
mills here, and it is known that the patentees of the West 
Farms did have mills here, for they are mentioned in ancient 
documents. As stated in a former chapter, the property came 
into the possession of the De Lancey family, and, in conse- 
quence, was known as De Lancey's Mills for many generations. 
The site of the ancient mills is now within the limits of Bronx 
Park, at the old Kingsbridge Road. About 1825, the property 
was bought by Mr. David Lydig for a summer residence and 
he occupied the De Lancey house on the east side of the stream. 
The house was afterward burned. Mr. Lydig was a practical 
miller from the valley of the Genesee, and he continued to 
operate the mills and greatly enlarged them. There is nothing 
left of them now except the dam and the foundations of the 
mills. Several coloring mills line the stream between the 
bridge at East i8oth Street and that at 177th Street, or Walker 
Avenue. Below the latter bridge are the extensive buildings 



390 The Story of The Bronx 

of The Bronx Company, engaged in printing, dyeing, and 
bleaching cloths. 

West Farms, though rapidly assuming a modern appearance, 
is well worth a visit. Some of the houses are built of stone, 
and, while not ancient, give a quaint air of substantial respect- 
ability, comfort and easy means financially, and of a brisk 
and active rural life. That this condition will last much longer 
is not doubtful, for the old cottages, both stone and wood, 
are disappearing, and streets and avenues are being built 
up in all directions. 

The mansion of the De Lanceys was on the east side of the 
Bronx, and therefore in Westchester; but their name is in- 
dissolubly connected with the settlement on the west side of 
the river. It must have been a great sight in colonial days 
to have seen the De Lancey coach, with its four horses and 
outriders, convey the family to church at St. Peter's. What 
a cracking of whips, scattering of slaves and dogs, as the heavy 
lumbering vehicle went creaking, groaning, and tossing over 
the rough road to Westchester ! And what a time there must 
have been in the mansion, in 1775, after days of preparation, 
when the discontent of the colonists was ceasing to be a murmur 
and was becoming a roar, when two daughters of the house 
were wedded on the same day ! These were Jane, who married 
her cousin, John Watts, a graduate of King's College (1766), 
and son of John Watts, one of Governor Tryon's councillors, 
and her younger sister who married Thomas, the son of the 
Reverend Dr. Barclay. The invited guests drove out from 
the city in old-time coaches and chaises, not a few performing 
the journey on horseback. Such a f;ay and brilliant assembly 
of all the best people of the Province had not met since the 
marriage, eight years before, of the eldest sister of the brides, 
Alice, to the famous Ralph Izard of South Carolina. 



West Farms 391 

Then came the troublous times of the Revolution, and the 
loyalty of the majority of the De Lanceys to the crown made 
them the objects of particular attack on the part of the Whigs. 
James, the son of "Peter of the Mills," and commander of 
the Westchester Light Horse, did his duty faithfully, as he 
saw it, to his king; and, as a result, lost his estates by confis- 
cation. It is strange that his brother John, who also fought 
on the side of King George, should have been unmolested in the 
possession of his property. It does not seem that the De 
Lanceys lost any sense of their own importance or were much 
overawed by those who carried the king's commission; for it 
is related that upon one occasion two of the younger members 
of the family, James and his brother Oliver, had a quarrel 
with Emmerick, whom they insulted and struck. Though 
both were private gentlemen, they were tried by court-martial 
and condemned to two months' imprisonment, as well as to 
make a public apology to Emmerick at the head of his troops 
at Kingsbridge. 

After the Revolution, one of the three stores in this section 
was located at West Farms and was conducted by Daniel 
Mapes. After the construction of Coles's Boston road, the 
village became the most important place between New York 
and New Rochelle, as the road passes through the village. 
When the first extension of the surface-car service was made, 
it was to West Farms. The country around about was devoted 
to farming, but, later, many handsome estates were owned by 
wealthy New York gentlemen and merchants. A few of these 
still remain, but nearly all have been cut up into lots and 
streets and are being rapidly built upon, as communication is 
becoming easier and more rapid. This change has been more 
marked since the completion of the subway, which has its 
northerly terminal here ; there are also numerous trolley lines 



392 The Story of The Bronx 

going to all parts of the Borough and to Mt. Vernon and New 
Rochelle. It is amusing to see the crowds alight from the 
trolley cars and rush for the subway as if their very lives de- 
pended on their not missing a second. In the cars, they 
usually begin to get up from their seats and crowd the aisles 
a half mile from the terminal. What is the cause of this? 
Is it a national characteristic of wanting to get ahead of 
somebody else, or is it a childish trait showing fear of not 
getting to a place on time? 

The West Farms Soldiers' Monument, the only one in the 
Borough, was erected, by the subscriptions of a few patriotic 
citizens, in the West Farms Cemetery, adjoining the graveyard 
of the old Presbyterian Church. A Mrs. Cunningham, the 
widow of a soldier, was the first to draw attention to the neg- 
lected and desecrated graves of a number of soldiers who 
were buried here. She was passing the graveyard when the 
street was being widened and saw a number of bones thrown 
into a cart by the laborers. An examination of one of the grass- 
covered and decrepit tombstones showed that it was over the 
grave of "William J. Rasberry, Captain Co. C, 6th Heavy 
Artillery, killed Oct. 19, 1864, at Cedar Creek, while leading 
his men up the hill." Other graves were found, and the 
matter of erecting a suitable monument was taken up by a 
committee of which Captain Charles Baxter was chairman. 
The monument was erected in the fall of 1909, and was 
dedicated with appropriate ceremonies May 29, 1910. The 
remains of eleven soldiers, two of them of the War of 18 12, 
are within the plot near the monument. Three brass howit- 
zers are used for ornamental purposes, and a flag is kept 
flying from the staff erected for the purpose. 

During the Civil War, the same diversity of opinion pre- 
vailed throughout the Borough as in all sections of the country. 




The De Lancey Pine. 




The Soldiers' Monument at West Farms. 



West Farms 393 

and especially in the city of New York. Some volunteered 
for the defence of the Union, some remained passive, and 
others were " Copperheads " of the usual kind. While a great 
many individual soldiers enlisted from all parts of the Borough, 
the following companies were recruited almost wholly in the 
places given; 6th Artillery, Company C, wholly, and Com- 
pany K, partially, at West Farms, Company H in Morrisania; 
5th Infantry (Duryea's Zouaves), Company F, partially, in 
Fordham; 17th Infantry, Company C, Morrisania; 176th 
Infantry (Ironsides), Company G, in Pelham. When the 
draft was inaugurated, in 1863, the lawless classes took ad- 
vantage of the absence of the troops in Pennsylvania and the 
weakness of the civil power to resent the draft by forcible 
means and mob violence; though they did not go so far as 
their rebellious neighbors on Manhattan Island. 

The disturbances in connection with the draft in New York 
began on July 13, 1863, when the vicious and ignorant who 
composed the mobs, burned the offices of the provost-marshal, 
destroyed the lists of those subject to the draft, attacked and 
killed individual soldiers found in the streets, resisted the 
police to the point of murder, tore up railroad tracks, cut 
telegraph wires, hung negroes wherever found, burned and 
sacked several houses belonging to eminent supporters of the 
government, and burned the Colored Orphan Asylum. 

The reports of all these lawless doings did not have their 
effect upon the inhabitants north of the Harlem River until 
the next day, Tuesday, the fourteenth, when their passions 
were aroused by reading the newspaper accounts of the pro- 
ceedings of the previous day. Mobs visited the draft offices 
at Morrisania and West Farms and destroyed the lists, in their 
ignorance believing that the names cotild not be replaced. 
The telegraph offices in Melrose and Williamsbridge were 



394 The Story of The Bronx 

destroyed and some rails on the Harlem and New Haven rail- 
roads were torn up, while arrangements were made for the 
further destruction of the tracks by placing pickets as far as 
Mt. Vernon to give notice when it would be safe to begin the 
work of destruction. The railroads were obstructed with 
the intention of preventing the arrival of troops or assistance 
from out of town. The mobs at West Farms and Morrisania 
were quieted by the appeals of Supervisor Cauldwell and Mr. 
Pierre C. Talman. 

On the evening of Wednesday, the fifteenth, a meeting was 
held in the town-hall at Tremont. There was a large crowd 
present, which was addressed by John B. Haskin and Pierre 
C. Talman, who managed the mass of excited and ignorant 
men with considerable diplomacy, first flattering them with 
the statement that they were right in their resistance to the 
draft and the Government all wrong in enforcing it, and then 
appealing to their sense of self-respect and order. The ground 
of the argument used was that the draft was unconstitutional, 
and that the Federal Government had no right to invade the 
■municipal rights of a sovereign State until the courts of that 
State had decided whether a Federal act were constitutional 
or not; in fact, the old idea of nullification. The meeting ad- 
journed after the appointment of a committee of seven citizens 
"to wait on Moses G. Sheard, Esq., Federal provost-marshal of 
the district, to insist that the draft be stopped till the State 
court could decide whether it was constitutional." The reign 
of terror which had existed for two days was at an end, as 
the appointment of the committee seemed to satisfy the ring- 
leaders of the crowd. It is questionable whether it would have 
done so if news had not come the next day that the troops 
were returning from Gettysburg, and that those who had 
already arrived in New York had come in contact with the 



West Farms 395 

mob, very much to the discomfiture of the latter. Under the 
circumstances, the mob leaders very wisely came to the con- 
clusion that peaceable means would serve their cause better 
than violence, and quiet and order were once more restored. 

In June, 1903, there were sold at the County Court-house, 
Manhattan, twenty-five lots situated in various parts of the 
Borough under foreclosure proceedings brought by "the Com- 
missioners for Loaning Certain Moneys of the United States 
of the County of New York." This may be called an echo of 
the War of 18 12. The different States contributed money to 
pay the expenses of that war, which money was afterward 
paid back by the Federal Government, New York being repaid 
in 1837. The State devoted the money so received to mak- 
ing advances to small owners of lands, or to enable wotild-be 
owners to purchase property. The advances in every case 
were Hmited to $5000; and the interest, which was fixed by 
statute at five per cent., was used to defray the expenses of 
schools. All the lots, except three, were bought in by the 
State at the above sale. I wonder whether the Commission 
was in existence from 1837 to 1903 and received pay for its 
services. 



CHAPTER XVIII 

WESTCHESTER 

SHORTLY after the Revolution, April i8, 1785, the State 
Legislature enacted that "the district formerly called 
and known by the style of the Borough and Town of 
Westchester, shall henceforth be known by the name of the 
Town of Westchester," This, of course, deprived the town of 
its mayor and aldermen and of its right to have a representa- 
tive in the Assembly; but the new township was authorized to 
elect by the votes of the inhabitants six freeholders to act as 
trustees of the township. By Act of the Legislature of 18 13, 
the trustees, or a majority of them, were empowered to sell the 
undivided lands of the township and to continue to lease the 
ferry to Flushing, Long Island. 

There are not so many notable objects in the town as one 
might expect from its antiquity. St. Peter's and its graveyard 
are of interest, and the visitor may spend some time in de- 
ciphering the older tombstones to be found in the latter. The 
Sunday-school building occupies the site of the ancient court- 
house and jail. The records of the judicial proceedings have 
been kept since the Dutch days, though not now at the ancient 
town. In the records from 1657 to 1662, we may find a num- 
ber of names which are mentioned in other parts of this volume : 

John Archer, a bom litigant, later of Fordham; William Betts, 

396 



I 



Westchester 397 

purchaser with Tippett of a part of Colen Donck, and Edward 
Jessup of the West Farms patent. At the time of annexation, 
when the part of the Borough east of the Bronx River became 
a part of New York County, the town records were removed 
to the city and are now in the Record Department, Register's 
office of the Comptroller's office. The deeds, wills, and other 
official and legal papers are still kept at White Plains. 

At a town meeting, June 8, 1700, it was resolved: 
" That whereas at a former meeting ... on the third day of 
May, 1697, it was voted and agreed upon that there should be a 
town hall, built to hold courts in and for the publick worship 
of God, but it being then neglected, the mayor, aldermen, and 
justices at this meeting did order with a joynt consent to 
build a house for the uses of a court and prison. The dimen- 
sions of the house are to be twenty-six feet square, sixteen 
feet joynts, a square roof, six window cases five feet square, 
etc. The trustees agreed with Richard Ward to build said 
house for £33, and with Erasmus Orton to build the prison 
for £5, It is to be twenty feet long, 16 feet wide, seven feet 
high, two feet thick with a good chimney. . . . Which work 
is to be done by the 31st." 

The seal for the town was furnished gratis in 1696, by 
Colonel Caleb Heathcote, the first mayor. In 1746, small- 
pox prevailed at Greenwich, New York, then the meeting 
place of the Assembly, and the Legislature adjourned to West- 
chester, probably holding its sessions in the court-house. 

By the act of November i, 1683, which divided the Province 
into counties, the borough-town was designated as the county- 
seat; and later the Court of Oyer and Terminer and General 
Jail Delivery was held in the court-house, erected under the 
resolution given above. From the New York Post Boy of 
1758, we get the following item: "new york, feb. 13th. 
We hear from Westchester that on Saturday night the 4th 



398 The Story of The Bronx 

inst. the Court-house at that place was unfortunately burned 
to the ground. We have not yet heard how it happened." 

The building was repaired, and courts were held here until 
November 6, 1759, when the county-seat and court were re- 
moved to White Plains. The restored court-house was again 
burned early in the Revolution. 

The old causeway, first mentioned in the town records of 
July 9, 1678, still connects Throgg's Neck with the mainland. 
On the south side of the Westchester end of the causeway, 
there formerly stood an old tide mill, which had been erected 
at a very early period by Colonel Caleb Heathcote. Behind 
its walls, the outpost, consisting of Hand's Riflemen, took 
refuge and prevented the crossing of the creek by the British 
on October 12, 1776. The old mill was operated until Feb- 
ruary, 1875, when it took fire from an overheated stove and 
was completely destroyed. The causeway is crossed by a 
trolley line which goes as far as the Eastern Boulevard; ulti- 
mately, it will go to the United States Government reservation 
on Throgg's Neck. 

Several of the Westchester inhabitants were engaged in the 
sloop trade with New York in the first half of the nineteenth 
century, and the owners of the trade found it very lucra- 
tive; later, small steamers plied between the two places. 
Among the sloop owners was Sydney B. Bowne, a respected 
Quaker of the town, who, after the restoration of peace, also 
conducted a store in the village, which was easily the most 
famous of the three or four stores of which the Borough was 
possessed. It was said that "Syd" Bowne always had what 
was asked for, and that he never turned a customer away 
empty-handed. Once, on a wager, some gentlemen asked 
for a goose-yoke, a rather rare article, but it was furnished on 
the instant. On a similar occasion of a wager, the article 




The Causeway and Bridge, Westchester. 




Looking across the Creek (1903), Westchester. 




The Sydney Bowne Store ''1903) Westchester. 




The Westchester Methodist Episcopal Church, Walker Avenue. 



Westchester 399 

demanded was a pulpit. The venerable merchant thought 
for a few moments, and then recalling the contents of his 
garret, called to his son: "Thomas, thee will find Parson 
Wilkins's old pulpit behind the chimney in the garret." It 
seems that when St. Peter's had been renovated, Friend 
Bowne had bought the old pulpit. His store building has been 
rejuvenated almost beyond recognition. 

Of the more modem structures, there are the district court- 
house and the Collis P. Huntington free library and reading- 
room, a comfortable red brick building. Mr. Huntington, 
who owned an extensive estate at Throgg's Neck, gave the 
building to the town. It contains a fine portrait of the giver, 
painted in oils by William E. Marshall, in 1893. On the road, 
connecting Westchester and West Farms, Walker Avenue, 
is the handsome stone Roman Catholic church of St. 
Raymond with its two fine towers. Attached to it are an old 
graveyard, a rectory, and a parochial school-house. 

Situated on Walker Avenue and the Unionport Road at 
Van Nest are the buildings of the New York Catholic Pro- 
tectory. This organization was incorporated on April 14, 
1863, under the name of the "Society for the Protection of 
Destitute Children." It grew out of the solicitude of the 
clergy and members of the Catholic Church for the welfare 
of the gamins of the city streets, and from the fact that thou- 
sands of Catholic children were yearly lost to the faith through 
the non-religious workings of charitable institutions, both 
public and private; and that many of these children grew up 
to indolent or vicious lives through parental neglect, or through 
lack of authority to compel them to employ their time in 
useful occiipations. The charter of the society provides for 
the care of children under fourteen years of age over whom 
their parents have no control, or who are idle, truant, vicious, 



400 The Story of The Bronx 

or homeless, and are committed by a magistrate, or by the 
commissioners of charity. 

Experience has taught that to conquer the class of children 
described above, it is necessary for them to have constant and 
useful occupation, with a proper amount of play and out-door 
work. The Protectory has been under the Christian Brothers 
of the Catholic Church from its inception to the present. 
They are not priests, but are expected to engage in no business 
but that of teaching, and they are vowed to go and teach 
wherever they are sent by their superiors. The Brothers 
are with the boys at all times, whether it be in the workshop, 
the playground, or the dormitory. 

The institution occupied two sites in Manhattan before 
coming to Van Nest. The site here, consisting of a farm of 
1 14 acres, was bought in June, 1865, for $40,000. The erection 
of the necessary buildings was begun at once, both for the boys 
and the girls, the latter being separated from the former and 
being nearer Unionport. A great fair was held in 1867 to 
raise funds for the erection of a building for girls, who are in 
charge of the Sisters of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. 
This building was completed in 1869, but was completely 
destroyed by fire on the night of July 25, 1872; and the dis- 
cipline and courage displayed by the older girls were remark- 
able. One of the Sisters said : " Let no big girl pass this way 
without a baby in her arms"; and without hesitancy "the 
big girls" returned to the burning building and smoking dor- 
mitories and issued from them with the babes in their arms, 
many of them still asleep. Not a life was lost. Fire also 
destroyed the tower of the Boys' building on August 22, 1902. 

The daily routine is varied, so that the children are not apt 
to become tired with either too much mental or too much 
physical labor. There is class-room work, shop-work, and work 



k 



Westchester 401 

out of doors, as well as periods in the playgrounds. Notwith- 
standing the liberty given the inmates, there have been few 
runaways. The institution is supported by voluntary sub- 
scriptions, by contributions from the State, and by payments 
from the city for those committed by magistrates or other 
authority. Some income is also derived from the Protectory 
band, which is a familiar sight in most of the parades that take 
place in New York. 

The Suburban station for Westchester is Van Nest, which 
gets its name from an estate formerly lying east of West 
Farms. The Morris Park race-track was reached by means 
of the same station ; and on racing days, the usual population 
of the section used to be increased by the thousands of visitors 
who came from all quarters. A large part of the De Lancey 
estate, later belonging to the Lydigs, is now within the bounds 
of Bronx Park; the same is true of the Lorillard estates. 

There are several necks in the town of Westchester, which 
jut out into the waters of the East River or of the Sound. 
The most westerly one is that originally called Cornell's Neck, 
which, since the summer of 1909, can be reached by the trolley 
line running down Clason Point Avenue from Westchester 
Avenue, a distance of about two miles. There is only one 
avenue, so the course cannot be mistaken. This road has been 
built by the city within the last five years, and it goes straight- 
away to the end of the neck, replacing the former winding 
roadway, which was bordered in many places by trees, many 
of which were magnificent in size; and among which could 
have been found black walnuts and other trees which are not 
natives of this latitude but which were planted by former 
owners of the neck. 

The neck was first occupied by Thomas Cornell, one of 
Throckmorton's colonists, in 1643 ; but he was driven away by 



402 The Story of The Bronx 

the Indians and his house burned, because they said he had 
not paid them for the land. However that may be, he must 
have given satisfactory proof to the Dutch authorities that 
he had purchased the land, for a grond brief was issued to him 
in 1646 by Governor Kieft. To his grandson, William Willett, 
the land was confirmed by patent of Colonel Nicolls, April 
15, 1667. In this deed, the land is described as 

"a certaine Parcell of Land, contained within a neck, commonly 
called and knowne by ye name of Cornell's Neck, lying and 
being upon the Maine, toward the Sound or East River, being 
bounded to the West by a certain Rivolett which runs to the 
Black Rock and so into Bronckse Creeke or Kill. Then the 
Neck stretching itselfe East South East into the Sound is 
bounded to the East with another Rivolett which divides it 
from the limits of West Chester and a line being run from the 
head of each Rivolett wherewith a narrow slip, the said Neck 
is joined to the Maine land, it closes up the Neck and makes 
the North bounds thereof." 

The "Rivolett which runs to the Black Rock" is at present 
known as Barrett's Creek, and where it joins the Bronx River 
is a bluff of black gneiss at the southeastern part of the neck. 
From the presence of this rock, the patent and neck, or farm, 
were known as the "Black Rock" patent and farm. The 
"Rivolett which divides it from the limits of West Chester" 
is Wilkins's Creek, also known as Pugsley's Creek, from the 
former owner of the farm lying adjacent to the neck on West- 
chester Avenue; near-by the avenue used to cross the wet 
meadows of Barrett's Creek on a causeway, also called "Pug- 
sley's." Just beyond were the golf links of the Westchester 
Golf Club until 1906. The line joining the heads of the two 
creeks is a few yards south of Westchester Avenue, the road 
to the neck formerly passing between them on a narrpw cause- 



i 




'The Black Rock" on Cornell's Neck. 




Near the Mouth of Pugsley's Creek. 



Westchester 403 

way. Near the mainland on each side of the neck are salt 
marshes dotted with rocky hummocks which rise from ten to 
twenty feet above the surrounding meadows; one of them to 
the east is called "Indian Rock," which, so far as the author 
can find out, has no particular significance, the name being 
fanciful. These meadows are now being filled in with the 
ashes and other rubbish collected by the Street Cleaning De- 
partment. A good deal of the property along Westchester 
Avenue is being graded and otherwise improved by the 
American Realty Company. 

The old road used to pass from one little hummock to an- 
other to the main part of the neck, which is nearly all less than 
twenty feet above water, though rising in two places to forty 
feet. At the end of the neck are a number of summer hotels, 
bathing paviHons, moving-picture places, and other amusement 
places of like character, making of the neck a sort of Coney 
Island on a small scale. The spot has become very popular 
since the closing of the Oak Point resort and the running of 
the trolley three years ago, as one can get from almost any 
part of the Borough to the resort for a five-cent fare. 

One of the hotels, the Clason's Point Inn, is partly of stone, 
the older portion being the kitchen of the original Cornell 
house, and another part attached to it being the remains of the 
Willett and Clason mansion. A short distance from the inn 
is a small stone structure which was formerly the smoke- 
house of the ancient farmstead. When Mr. Clinton Stephens 
took possession, he found the place in ruins, and was tempted 
to pull them down completely; but the historic associations 
finally prevailed, and he incorporated the remains of the old 
buildings within the new, at considerable trouble and expense 
to himself. O ! that there were more owners of historic places 
like him! Above the entrance he has also placed a legend of 



404 The Story of The Bronx 

the original occupancy of the neck by Cornell and a brief 
statement of its subsequent history. 

The neck remained in possession of the Willetts until 1793, 
when the west half of it was conveyed to Dominick Lynch, 
an Irish gentleman, of whom another son of Erin remarked: 
" Mr. Lynch is the only Irishman I ever heard of that brought 
money to America. ' ' About the same time, the eastern portion 
of the neck was sold to Isaac Clason. ^ This part of the neck 
includes the point, which, from its new owner of 1793, took the 
name of Clason's Point, which it still retains. A ferry to con- 
nect it with Long Island was established in the spring of 1912. 

Mr. Lynch built a large and handsome stone mansion on a 
high point of his land which gives a fine view of the neck and 
river. In the large entrance hall is a fireplace and mantel of 
Carrara marble beautifully carved, with supporting caryatids, 
which does not show a scratch or blemish on the white grained 
stone after a usage of more than a century. Mr. Lynch was 
a devout Catholic; and it is stated that the first services of 
the Church ever celebrated in Westchester County were held 
in this mansion. In 1830, his executors sold the west half 
of the neck to the Ludlow family; later it came into the pos- 
session of the Schieffelins, who disposed of it in 1870 to the 
Christian Brothers of the Catholic faith, who used it until 
1883 as a training school for the neophytes of the society. 
In this latter year, it was changed into the Sacred Heart 
Academy, for the education of boys, and it is now known as 
the Clason's Point Military Academy. Several buildings, 
including a chapel, have been added, and there is an athletic 
field, while the water contiguous to the property allows of 
aquatic sports and pastimes. 

' The name is also spelled Clauson and Classon; but Clason is the gen- 
erally accepted spelling. 



Westchester 405 

The rest of the neck is under cultivation, more or less, and 
one's attention is attracted by the great number of broken 
shells which are turned up by the plough. Other owners of 
property on the neck were the Ludlow family, the first of 
whom came to this country in 1694. Ludlow Street, Man- 
hattan, was named after a member of this family. The name 
of the first Ludlow was Gabriel, which became a family name, 
which constantly appears in the family pedigree. One of 
the name was a colonel in De Lancey's brigade of loyal- 
ists during the Revolution; his half-sister was the wife of 
Francis Lewis, a signer of the Declaration of Independ- 
ence; which shows how members of the same family dif- 
fered in their political views during Revolutionary times. 
Perhaps it was a good thing for some of the loyalists that 
this was so; for undoubtedly many a handsome estate was 
saved from confiscation through the prominence of some 
patriotic member of a family who was in the line of 
inheritance. 

Westchester Avenue, east of the Southern Boulevard, is 
still very little built upon, though a large tract of land is being 
developed by the American Realty Company beyond the 
Bronx River. The thoroughfare was, until 1904, little dif- 
ferent from a country road, lined by magnificent trees, which 
have disappeared since the widening and grading of the street 
in the year mentioned. At the same time, a turn-table bridge 
was erected over the Bronx River and the tracks of the Sub- 
urban branch of the New York, New Haven, and Hartford 
Railroad. Before this, the crossing had been at grade, and it 
was a dangerous place. 

To the eastward of Cornell's Neck is Castle Hill Neck, 
upon which Unionport is situated. To reach the end of the 
neck, we go out Avenue C, past the public-school building. 



4o6 The Story of The Bronx 

Unionport occupies the head of the neck lying between West- 
chester and Pugsley creeks. 

In the town records of Westchester, we find under date of 
May 6, 1729, regulations for the government of the "sheep 
pasture" which had been granted to the town by the charter 
of February 28, 1721. The freeholders of the town were 
entitled to free pasturage for twenty-five sheep for each in- 
dividual; "a cow in lieu of five sheep, a horse, mare, or an ox; 
in lieu of a sheep, a calf; in lieu of two sheep, a yearling" — 
all of which is reminiscent of the problems we used to solve in 
our childhood's days, which we used to think rather "crazy" 
and made up for the special purpose of further addling our 
poor understandings. In respect, then, to a common pastur- 
age, the settlers of Westchester were not behind their New 
England relatives; nor had they departed from the ways of 
their Anglo-Saxon forbears in old England. The "sheep 
pasture," or "Commons," as it was later called, embraced 
about four hundred acres on the west side of Westchester 
Creek, together with a fenced-in piece of an acre and a half 
on Stony Brook, where the owners were in the habit of folding 
and washing their sheep. 

In 1825, the trustees of the town sold the Commons, as 
undivided lands belonging to the town, to Martin Wilkins, Esq. 
They then passed through several hands, including those of] 
his grandson, Gouvemeur Morris Wilkins, who paid $300,000] 
for them. He sold them, in 1851, to a building association, ! 
that established here the village of Unionport; which, in the 
earlier days of the electric cars, was a favorite resort on Sun- 
days and holidays. The Industrial Home Association Number 
Two filed its map of Unionport at White Plains August 23, 
1854. Included in this plot was also the Lowerre farm, which 
Wilkins had bought for $25,000. He resold it in September, 



Westchester 407 

1851, at a contract price of $200 an acre, to Henry Palmer, 
trustee of the building association. This will give an idea of 
the value of land in this vicinity as long ago as the middle of 
the last century. 

Passing out Avenue C, we go through a stone gateway and 
over a shady country road and reach the neck itself. The 
surrounding fields are well-cultivated, the old estates being in 
possession of German market gardeners. We get fine views 
from the top of the ridge along which we pass to the outer 
end of the neck. The road ends at a fence about an estate 
which gives evidences of having once been a gentleman's 
country-place. It formerly belonged to the late Gouverneur 
Morris Wilkins, and later to his son-in-law, John Screven, 
from whom the neck is known locally as "Screven's Point." 
The mansion stands on a bluff near the end of the neck over- 
looking a stretch of meadow. The view is a fine one, with the 
mouth of Westchester Creek and Old Ferry Point to the east- 
ward and the East River to the south with the hills of Long 
Island beyond. 

If, when we come to the end of the Castle Hill Road, we 
turn to the right, we can follow a lane which passes close to 
the fence and which brings us into the farmyard of the ancient 
home of the Reverend Isaac Wilkins, built, supposedly, about 
1765. It is likely that the house is even older than this, as it 
may have been erected by the Underhills, or even by the 
Cromwells, previous owners of the neck; and the curious 
hiding-place which the house contains may have been con- 
structed for protection from the Indians; or, more likely, 
as a place for the storage of smuggled goods. The lonely 
position of the house and the convenience to the creek at 
its very door lend likelihood to the latter supposition, as 
we know that the gentlemen of colonial days were exten- 



4o8 The Story of The Bronx 

sively engaged with, or at least interested in, the contraband 
trade. 

The house consists of two parts, the living part of two stories 
and a single storied part which constitutes the kitchen, where 
the great brick fireplace with its Dutch ovens still remains. 
Back of the low-ceiled dining-room is a large room partly 
underground, which is the cellar for the storage of vegetables 
and food, probably the milk room of the ancient farmstead. 
The chief interest in the house, however, lies in the second 
story, where, back of the immense chimney, a hole in the floor 
gives access to a subterranean vault, or room, of which ab- 
solutely no indication is given on the lower floor. The flooring 
is very wide, not less than twelve inches; and upon the visit 
of the author, the occupant of the house obligingly removed 
the trap-door in order that he might see into the dark depths 
below. Local tradition says there is a passage under the 
creek towards Cornell's Neck; but such an engineering 
feat as this would have been almost impossible in colonial 
days. 

It was within this vault in 1776, before the British obtained 
possession of this section of Westchester County, that the 
three loyalist clergymen, Dr. Myles Cooper, President of 
King's College, Dr. Chandler of Elizabeth, New Jersey, and 
Dr. Samuel Seabury, Rector of Westchester, hid themselves 
for some time while awaiting an opportunity to escape to Long 
Island. Notwithstanding the fact that this whole section 
was patrolled by the troops of Heath's command, and that the 
house was frequently searched for fleeing loyalists, so in- 
geniously contrived is the hiding-place that the reverend 
gentlemen escaped detection and were able finally to get away 
safely to the other side of the Sound. It is not unlikely that 
the house harbored less distinguished visitors than the three 




The Wilkins Mansion, from Clason's Point. 




Ferris Grange (1687) on Ferris Avenue, or Old Ferry Lane, 1903— Throgg's 
Neck. (Seep. 411.) 



I 



Westchester 409 

mentioned above, as Westchester was a loyalist stronghold, 
and the patriots were hot after their recalcitrant fellow- 
countrymen, who would be likely to take advantage of such a 
secure and secret hiding-place. Upon the near-by creek, boats 
and fishing tackle are furnished to those who wish to pursue 
the "gentle art." 

The earliest record we have of the property is of the date of 
1685, when "John Cromwell and Elizabeth Cromwell, his 
wife, exchanged six acres of meadow with Thomas Hunt, for 
eight acres of upland, situated upon Castle Neck." John 
Cromwell is said to have been a nephew of the great Lord 
Protector Oliver. In consequence of his occupancy of the 
neck, it was known for some time as "Cromwell's Neck." 
From the Cromwells, the property passed to a younger branch 
of the Underhills, descendants of the redoubtable Captain 
John Underbill, whose surprise and massacre of the Indians at 
Mianus broke up the Indian war of Kieft's administration. 
Isaac Wilkins was the next owner, and he disposed of it in 
1784, to Gilbert Pell for £2500; after which it passed through 
several hands until it came into those of Martin Wilkins, a 
descendant of the Reverend Isaac. Why the property es- 
caped confiscation to the State under the laws of 1779, se- 
questrating the property of loyalists, is a question. Political 
and family influences, especially the latter, were more potent 
in those days than these; and it should be remembered that 
Wilkins's wife was a half-sister of Lewis, and a ftdl-sister of 
Gouvemeur Morris, two famous Whigs. 

The name of Throgg's Neck is given to all that portion of 
the former town of Westchester lying between Westchester 
Creek, the EJast River, the Sound, and Eastchester Bay. As 
early as 1704, the northern portion, now within Pelham Bay 
Park, was called "Dorman's Island." Of its earliest settle- 



4IO The Story of The Bronx 

ment by Throgmorton, Cornell, and their cofmpanions, an 
account has already been given in Chapter II. 

After the Indian war of Kieft's administration, such part of 
the land as had not been occupied by the colonists came into 
the possession of Augustine Hermans. It is probable that 
those colonists who escaped the Indian massacre returned to 
the neck after that unhappy affair and once more occupied and 
cultivated their lands. Two of these were named Spicer and 
Brockett, who gave their names to two necks on the south side 
of the peninsula. On the southwest side of Spicer's Neck, 
the Siwanoy Indians had one of their most important places 
of sepulture, and hence the neck was frequently called "Burial 
Point." On January 7, 1667, Colonel Nicolls granted to 
Roger Townsend "a certain parcel of land ... at ye south- 
east end of Throgmorton's neck, commonly called New Found 
Passage, containing fifteen acres, as also a small neck thereto 
adjoining commonly called Horseneck, being about the same 
quantity of land, which is not in occupation." 

On January 12, 1686, Spicer's and Brockett's necks were 
patented to Thomas Hunt of Westchester by Governor Don- 
gan under the title of Grove Farm. The yearly quit-rent was 
a bushel of good winter wheat, to be paid "on or before the 
five and twentieth day of March, at the city of New York." 
That Hunt had received a previous confirmation is evident 
from his will of 1694, in which he "bequeathes to my 
grandson Josiah Hunt, eldest son of my son Josiah Hunt, 
the Grove Farm, to him and to his heirs male, which was 
patented to me by Governor Nicolls 4th December, 1 667, and 
further entails the same to the said Josiah and his heirs male 
lawfully begotten from generation to generation." It may be 
mentioned, in passing, that all entails in the State of New 
York were broken by an Act of the Legislature of 1825. 



k 



Westchester 411 

This was the same Thomas Hunt, who married a daughter 
of Edward Jessup, one of the patentees of the West Farms, 
and thus came into possession of the Planting Neck, afterward 
called Hunt's Point. The Grove Farm was sold at public 
vendue on May 6, 1760, to Josiah Cousten for £3400; so that 
we must conclude either that the male line of the Hunts had 
run out, or that the entail had been broken. Cousten sold 
the same property in October, 1775, to John Ferris, a descend- 
ant of John Ferris, one of the original patentees of Westchester, 
who had married Myanna Hunt. In consequence of this 
purchase, Spicer's Neck became known as Ferris 's Point. From 
Brockett's Neck, just beyond, the ferry connected with 
Whitestone, Long Island, and the neck thus became known 
as Old Ferry Point. It is to-day owned by members of the 
Lorillard and De Zerega families. 

Ferris Avenue, or Ferry Lane, is a beautiful, shady road, 
leading down to both necks from the Eastern Boulevard. On 
the right is the property of the Roman Catholic Deaf and 
Dumb Asylum; and beyond that is the old Ferris house, 
which, though modernized, dates from the days of the Hunts. 
It was rented to a market gardener at the time of the author's 
visit and presented the worst degree of dilapidation of any of 
the old houses that he has seen. The house is close to West- 
chester Creek, of which it commands a fine view. In October, 
1776, the owner was James Ferris, who, with his family, was 
at breakfast on the morning of the twelfth, when a gun from 
the direction of the water apprised him of the landing of Sir 
William Howe and his army. Ferris was later captured by 
the Queen's Rangers and imprisoned in the "Provost" prison 
in the city of New York. 

About the middle of the eighteenth century, the celebrated 
loyalist printer of New York, James Rivington, became the 



412 The Story of The Bronx 

owner of considerable property on Throgg's Neck. He after- 
ward disposed of it to Colonel Samuel Vetch Bayard, also a 
loyalist during the Revolution ; and it later came into posses- 
sion of his brother, William Bayard. The Bayards were of 
French Huguenot extraction, and their ancestors played 
prominent parts in the political affairs of the Province as 
members of the governor's council, members of the Provincial 
Assembly, and in other positions. 

As we cross over the causeway from Westchester, we are 
confronted by the Presbyterian Church on a spot on the op- 
posite hill, upon which the British erected a semicircular 
breastwork in October, 1776, as a protection from the American 
riflemen and artillery at the Westchester end of the causeway, 
during the five days that Sir William Howe held the neck 
before his advance toward New Rochelle. The road leads 
straightaway to the end of the neck, where Fort Schuyler is 
situated. The road is a fine one and has been a favorite with 
wheelemen and drivers, and is now with motorists. On both 
sides one can still see magnificent country estates belonging to 
people whose names are famous in our commercial, military, 
and political annals, or well-known simply on account of their 
wealth. A number of these estates have been developed 
under the name of Throgg's Neck Gardens within the last 
year or two; and the probable extension of the subway will 
make them accessible and desirable. 

On the north side of the road, beyond the Eastern Boulevard, 
are the grounds of the Westchester Polo Club. The trolley 
line goes as far as the Eastern Boulevard, and will, in time, 
extend to the end of the neck; but there is at present a long, 
but pleasant, walk, if one is on foot. The Eastern Botdevard 
extends now from Pelham Bridge to Unionport; but, when 
completed in accordance with the original plan and survey. 




The " Spy Oak " on the Pelham Road, Throgg's Neck. 




h 



Fort Schuyler, irom the Wharf. (See page 41 5.) 



J 



Westchester 413 

it will cross Castle Hill Neck, and Clason's Point and end at 
Port Morris; but to do this will require a great amount of 
filling in, as a number of wide stretches of meadow land are 
to be crossed. 

On the north side of Throgg's Neck are Locust Point, or 
island, and Weir Creek, as well as a small settlement called 
Pennyfield. If we turn to the north over the Eastern Boule- 
vard, we shall pass the grounds of the Westchester Country- 
Club; and, continuing on our way, shall come to Pelham 
Bridge. 

The ancient road connecting Westchester causeway with 
Pelham Bridge passes one of the famous trees of the Borough. 
This is the "Spy," or "Haunted," Oak. Its age must run 
into centiuries; as three feet from the ground its girth is twenty 
feet, and at the ground the spreading roots must increase 
this measurement by at least ten more. It gets its name from 
the tradition that a British spy, caught prowling near the 
American line, was hanged from one of its branches. For 
years, the spot has been considered to be haunted by the spirit 
of the unfortunate victim; and he is, indeed, brave who will 
go by the spot after nightfall. An old gentleman from Chicago 
whom the author met at the tree and who was visiting the 
scenes of his childhood and youth, told the writer that in his 
boyhood's days there were two brothers living in the neighbor- 
hood who were famous, or otherwise, for their boyish pranks. 
These youngsters would frequently hide behind the stone wall 
bordering the road near the tree, and, as dusk settled down, 
keep a bright lookout for any traveller upon the road. Upon 
the approach of such a person — if a child, so much the better — • 
they would at once set up a series of the most heartrending 
moans and shrieks until the scared passer-by would take to 
his heels with added evidence of the place being haunted. 



414 The Story of The Bronx 

Lying northeast of Throgg's Neck, and between it and City 
Island, are several small rocky islands whose tops are bare at 
low tide, and upon one of which the Federal Government 
maintains a light-house. These islets are called the "Step- 
ping-stones"; and the origin of the name is due to the 
following Indian legend: 

The evil spirit set up a claim to the shores of Connecticut, 
then in possession of the Indians, who determined to hold 
their land, on the principle that "possession is nine points of 
the law." But before doing so they laid the whole matter 
before their squaws, as most wise men do in cases of great im- 
portance, anticipating the dictum of the famous Captain 
John Underhill, who says : "Let no man despise the advice and 
counsel oj his wife, though she be a woman. ^' After fully con- 
sidering the matter, the squaws advised their lords to compro- 
mise the matter with his satanic majesty by vacating the 
disputed premises upon receiving remuneration for their 
betterments, a New England term that signifies, houses, cul- 
tivated or cleared land, or land which has been prepared for 
cultivation in the Indian fashion by girdling the trees. As a 
matter of course, no answer was vouchsafed to this demand 
of the Indians, and the two parties prepared for the final 
arbitrament of war. 

The Indians knew they were no match for the arch-fiend, 
but they thought that, by having a constant and fresh supply 
of reinforcements, they would be able to keep up the contest 
night and day, and thus tire him out. At his first advance, 
the enemy swept everything before him, but the Indians 
carried out their plan so successfully and harassed him so con- 
tinually that he was finally baffled by their vigilance and per- 
severance and was compelled to fall back. As he retreated 
along the shore, always presenting a bold front to the advan- 



Westchester 415 

cing hosts and keeping the Sound on his right flank, he came 
to the narrow part of it at Throgg's Neck ; and, the tide being 
out and the rocky islets bare, he stepped upon their tops, and 
quickly and safely reached the shore of Long Island. At a 
point on Throgg's Neck where he stood before jumping to the 
first islet, he left the print of his great toe, and thus gave to 
the point and the surrounding property the name of "Satans- 
toe," whose owners, according to Cooper in his novel of the 
name, were, in colonial times, the family of Littlepage. 

Now comes in a part of the legend which tallies, to some 
extent, with the location of the terminal moraines of the glacial 
period on the shores of Connecticut. 

Satan retired to the interior of Long Island in a highly en- 
raged state, and recovered from his fatigues. Still incensed 
at the indignities that had been heaped upon him, he gathered 
together a great quantity of stones and botdders at Cold 
Spring on the shore and hurled them across the Sound upon 
the shores of Connecticut as we see them to this day ; before 
that time, the fields of Connecticut had been free of rocks and 
boulders and easily tillable. 

At the end of Throgg's Neck is Fort Schuyler, which, with 
Fort Totten on Willett's Point, Whitestone, Long Island, 
commands the eastern entrance to the East River, which is 
here very narrow. To the eastward of the two points is the 
Sound. Fort Schuyler was named in honor of General Philip 
Schuyler, who commanded the Northern Army in 1777, and 
whose conduct of the campaign made possible the defeat and 
capture of Burgoyne by the succeeding American commander, 
Horatio Gates. 

The Government reservation consists of fifty-two acres, 
purchased in 1 826. The fort was begun in 1833 and completed 
in 1856. It is built of granite brought from Greenwich, Con- 



41 6 The Story of The Bronx 

necticut, and was built to mount 318 guns and to accommodate 
a garrison of 1250 men. The old stone fort has quite outlived 
its usefulness; and, though it still stands as a picturesque 
object, with its frowning and half-empty casemates, when 
viewed from the Sound, and is an object of interest to the 
landward visitor, the reliance for attack and defence must be 
in the more modern fortifications and armaments which sur- 
round it. The development of the defences at the eastern 
entrance to the Sound at Fisher's Island has rendered Fort 
Schuyler almost useless, and in the summer of 191 1 the 
garrison was withdrawn and the fort put in charge of a ser- 
geant and a small body of picked men to act as caretakers. 

On the south side of Throgg's Neck, west of Fort Schuyler, 
are estates belonging to T. C. Havemeyer, Mrs. Collis P. 
Huntington, Alfred Hennen Morris, and others, which are 
superb in extent and situation and in the care lavished upon 
them. Upon a part of the Huntington estate, known at 
various times as the Mitchell, the Ashe, and the Livingston 
estate, is the finest cedar of Lebanon to be found in the United 
States. It was planted by Philip Livingston about 1790 and 
has thriven in a remarkable degree for this latitude. Its 
height is over forty feet, and its girth about thirteen, while 
the spread of its branches is over fifty. Mr. Livingston also 
planted many other trees and plants, one of which, a copper 
beech, said to have been the finest in the United States, was 
blown down about twenty years ago. Most of the gentlemen 
of several generations ago of this section were deeply inter- 
ested in horticulture and arboriculture, and the Ferris nurs- 
eries were particularly famous. We are reaping the benefit 
to-day; for the most striking feature of Pelham Bay Park is 
the magnificence of its trees, though most of the fine chest- 
nuts have been killed by the blight that has been affecting 




Cedar of Lebanon, Huntington Estate, Throgg's Neck. 




John Williams's House, Williamsbridge, Built about 1755. Removed in 1903. 




The Husted House, 22 1 st St. near White Plains Road. Rear View. — Williamsbridge. 



Westchester 417 

all trees of that variety in this vicinity within the last ten 
years. 

On the west side of Westchester Creek, the principal road- 
way, leading from the borough-town through the middle of 
the township is the Eastchester Road, which is mentioned in 
Nicoll's grant of the Ten Farms as the "Westchester path." 
Before the days of the Oostdorp settlers, it was a trail, or path, 
used by the Siwanoys. It passes along the meadows of the 
creek to the higher ground along their edge and crosses the 
Boston Road at Corsa Lane (Eleventh Avenue), Williams- 
bridge. From this point, the Coles Road followed the East- 
chester Road. It crosses the Bronx and Pelham Parkway; 
and it was not far from this spot that the Americans had an 
outpost to prevent the enemy from crossing at the head of the 
creek in October, 1776. A great deal of the material taken 
from the Jerome Park reservoir was used for filling in the 
meadows in this vicinity. Beyond the Eastchester Road is 
the Williamsbridge Road, passing to the north of the Morris 
Park race-track; on the south of the track is the Bear Swamp 
Road leading to Bronxdale. 

Bronxdale was like West Farms on a small scale; as, having 
been a milling village strung along the Boston Road in the 
early part of the last century, the substantial stone cottages 
and houses stood imtil 191 1, when they were all removed out 
of Bronx Park, being either demolished or taken to other 
sites. Robert Bolton established a bleachery near where the 
Boston Road crosses the Bronx River about 1820, and for 
many years a successful business was conducted here. The 
little village was about a mile above West Farms, but the com- 
munity of interests made them virtually one settlement. 
Bronxdale is connected with Williamsbridge by the White 
Plains Road; but this section is so sparsely settled and devel- 
27 



41 8 The Story of The Bronx 

oped that tlie traveller finds it hard to believe that he is within 
the limits of the second largest city in the world. With so 
many hundreds of acres of unimproved land, it seems a pity 
that it cannot be used for the erection of individual houses for 
the working classes, as in all the other great cities of the world. 
But the New York owners and builders are so wedded to the 
idea of flats, or tenements, that it is not likely they would 
embark in any single-house proposition at low rentals ; nor is 
it likely that probably ninety per cent, of the inhabitants of 
the city would find themselves comfortable, or at home, in 
anything else but a flat. 

In the northeast portion of the old township is Williams- 
bridge, which gets its name from a farmer of pre-Revolutionary 
days whose farm was on the east side of the Bronx River near 
the bridge. John Williams's house, about one hundred and 
fifty years old, was still standing in 1903, on First Street, a 
little east of the White Plains Road, within the new park 
that has resulted from the widening of the street. The writer 
tried to insure the preservation of the old house by calling 
attention to it through one of our public societies, but without 
success; as the building was removed by one of the Italians, 
of whom there are so many in this locality, to whom the old 
house had been sold for firewood. 

The Bronx River presents some beautiful views below the 
bridge. Its banks are lined with residences whose backyards 
are prevented by substantial stone walls from being swept 
away by the winding stream when in flood or freshet. A few 
steps lead down to the stream, where a flat-bottomed boat is 
tied, and overhead there is an archway of trees — ^the whole 
making a scene of great beauty. Many of the occupants of 
the houses are French and their grounds and houses are orna- 
mented with statues and flowers, so that one is reminded of 



Westchester 419 

the pictures by Ridgway Knight. The French settlement has 
been in existence for about twenty years and is due to the 
factory for the manufacture of GobeHns tapestries. There 
are also several French restaurants where one can dine al 
fresco; and one of which, "A 1' Hermitage," has been made 
famous by F. Hopkinson Smith in his A Day at Laguerre's. 

The former village of Williamsbridge, which was incorpo- 
rated and elected its officers, December 27, 1888, comprised 
Olinville Number One, Olinville Number Two, Jerome, and 
Wakefield. The first two were named after Bishop Olin of 
the Methodist Church, the map of Number One having been 
filed at the county-seat at White Plains on December 18, 1852, 
and that of Number Two, on April 11, 1854. The first lay 
north of the bridge along the Bronx River, and the latter, 
south of the bridge as far as the Lorillard estate, now within 
Bronx Park ; the White Plains Road was the eastern boundary 
of both. Jerome was a smaller section north of the bridge 
and east of the White Plains Road; and Wakefield, laid out 
in 1853, was east and north of Jerome. Laconia Park is a 
speculative holding laid out about 1888, lying between Wake- 
field and the Boston (Coles) Road. 

The northern boundary of Williamsbridge and the town of 
Westchester is on the line of 229th Street ; east of that is Black 
Dog Brook, extending to the Hutchinson River, On 221st 
Street, east of the White Plains Road, is the old Husted house, 
which antedates the Revolution. It is the best example of 
colonial methods of building that the author has seen. The 
sills, rafters, and studding are all of hewn timbers, held together 
by wooden trenails; where the plaster is off, the split laths 
nailed on with wrought nails can be easily seen; the shingles 
on the roof and sides are also of split wood, and the flooring is 
of a width seldom seen in these days — about twelve inches. 



420 The Story of The Bronx 

The ancient road to Boston passed about two hundred feet 
in front of the house, and the author has seen a solid shot dug 
up from the old road, upon which are plainly to be seen the 
marks of the hammer with which it was beaten into a spherical 
form. The house may have been used as an inn in the olden 
times, and there is a tradition that Washington stopped here. 
Perhaps he did while inspecting his outposts in the fall of 1776, 
perhaps in going to or returning from Pell's Point, where he 
directed the establishment of the outpost, which, on the 
eighteenth of October, when in command of Colonel Glover, 
was to prevent his left flank from being turned, and which 
gave him the chance to safely withdraw his army to White 
Plains. The old house encroaches on the road, and the Bureau 
of Highways directed its removal several years ago; but the 
street is not yet needed for building purposes, and so the 
house has been allowed to stand. 




The Home of the Pattis in Wakefield. 
Sketch by W. J. Wilson, 1885. 




The Entrance to the Penfield Estate, on the White Plains Road. 
Sketch by W. J. Wilson, 1885. 




Seton's Falls, Eastchester. 




On the Boston Road, Eastchester, " 15 Miles to New York." 



CHAPTER XIX 

EASTCHESTER AND PELHAM 

OF the town of Eastchester, comparatively little was 
added to the Borough. The name of Washington- 
ville was that originally applied to the station on 
the Harlem Railroad where the New Haven Railroad leaves 
the Harlem tracks and swings to the eastward; but a few 
years ago the name was changed to Wakefield, which has 
thus become the upper end of the city. A small settlement 
close to Wakefield was called Jacksonville. The section on 
the east of the Bronx River abreast of Woodlawn Cemetery 
still awaits development, though the proposed park reserva- 
tion along the river will probably take considerable of the 
land. 

About the year 1854, there settled on Matilda Street in 
Washingtonville an ItaHan family, in whom the neighbors 
took great interest; for at all times of the day there issued 
from the house the sounds of either vocal or instrumental 
music. In fact, except when the children were attending the 
union free school in Mt. Vernon, musical practice seemed to 
be continuous. These Italians were the Pattis, and two of 
the daughters became famous ; Carlotta, as both a pianist and 
a singer, and Adelina as the owner of the most beautiful voice 

and as the most finished singer of the nineteenth century. 

421 



422 The Story of The Bronx 

Right on the boundary Hne of the city, on the White Plains 
Road, is situated what is left of the old Penfield estate. The 
large, comfortable-looking old mansion was an object of in- 
terest to all the passengers to the terminal of the Union Rail- 
way Company at 2426. Street; and the mansion possessed an 
air of dignity that age only can produce. Unfortunately, the 
house was almost destroyed by fire on the morning of May 13, 
1912. In view of the building of the subway extension to this 
point from West Farms, and the growth to be expected from 
this section in consequence, the early demolition of the house 
to make way for "flats" was to have been expected. 

The height of the hills above the river valley is well shown 
at East 233d Street, the northern boundary of the cemetery. 
There was formerly a very dangerous crossing of the Harlem 
tracks at the Woodlawn station on this street, but in January, 
1905, the bridge over the tracks was completed and opened. 

Mundy's Lane is a part of the boundary line between the 
Borough and Mount Vernon; it is an ancient road leading from 
Hunt's Bridge in the Mile Square to the Kingsbridge (Boston) 
Road, leading to Eastchester. The Kingsbridge Road, an 
ancient highway dating back to 1673, takes us through Eden- 
wald to near old St. Paul's, Eastchester, though over the city 
line. Here is the old Seton estate, through which runs Rattle- 
snake Brook, upon which there was formerly a mill. The 
site of the old mill is in a narrow and picturesque gorge where 
the water has a descent of about thirty feet in two falls, to 
which the name of Seton's Falls has been given. It has been 
for several generations a favorite place for a stroll, or for pic- 
nics by the inhabitants of the neighborhood. In the spring, 
the dogwood blossoms whiten the woods, and through the 
whole year the ground is carpeted with all kinds of wild flowers 
in their turn, as nature here has full sway and has been but 



Eastchester and Pelham 423 

little interfered with by man. After a heavy rain, a consider- 
able body of water comes over the falls, which add to the 
beauty and wildness of the scene. In the plan of streets 
adopted in 1903, provision was made for a public park at this 
place, but the Park Department of the Borough apparently 
knows of no steps taken to secure the property. 

Rattlesnake Brook crosses the Boston (Coles) Road; to the 
east of the road, the stream is dammed, forming Holler's 
Pond, from which the ice supply of the neighborhood is cut 
and upon whose frozen surface the people of the vicinity 
enjoy the sport of skating. There is also a factory for the 
making of artificial ice. Near this pond is located a small 
settlement, which is the part of the ancient village of East- 
chester within the Borough. A lane leads down the neck to 
Reid's mill, about a mile from the Boston Road. This lane 
used to be a very beautiful one; but in 1904 and 1905 most of 
the trees were cut down for firewood and the beauty of the 
landscape has been much decreased in consequence. There 
are several magnificent old trees on the Boston Road near the 
entrance to the lane, but these may suffer from the grading 
of the post-road, now being made into a State road. At the 
end of the lane, we come to the vast salt meadows of East- 
chester Creek, which stretch away for several miles, and over 
which there is no way of passing on foot, unless we go to 
Pelham Bridge on the south or to the Prospect Hill Road on 
the north. These meadows are not without their pictur- 
esqueness, and Edward Gay, N.A., has depicted them in a 
number of his pictures. 

In the olden times, the end of the lane at Eastchester Creek 
was called Sander's Landing. In 1739, there was erected here 
a tidal mill by Thomas Shute and Joseph Stanton. The mill 
passed through several hands until 1766, when it was bought by 



424 The Story of The Bronx 

John Bartow, who, in 1790, sold it to John Reid, a Scotchman, 
whose son Robert was the last miller. The mill has thus been 
known as "Bartow's," but more commonly as "Reid's mill," 
It was for many years the town mill, and as such passed into 
the possession of the city of New York at the time of annex- 
ation. It was a great bam-like structure of wood and was 
blown down in a storm about 1900, so that nothing now re- 
mains of it except the foundation stones. Near-by is a pictur- 
esque old structure, probably the home of the miller, the oldest 
part of which, so it is said, dates from 1668. 

The first settlement of Eastchester was made by the ten 
families from Fairfield, Connecticut, in 1664. The neck upon 
which the mill is situated formed a part of the "planting neck." 
As stated elsewhere, the two settlements of Westchester and 
Eastchester were closely allied. When they were separated in 
1667, difficulties arose in regard to the undivided lands and 
their ownership. 

The importance of having mills and craftsmen of various 
kinds, especially smiths and carpenters, was early recognized, 
and inducements in the way of land and money or produce 
were held out to settlers who were mechanics. As early as 
1670, there is a record of John Jackson building a mill for the 
settlers on Rattlesnake Brook, probably to the east of the 
Westchester path, about where Holler's pond is located. In 
1676, permission was also given to erect mills at Silleck's 
Landing, not far from the present bridge over Hutchin- 
son's River, at the Boston Road. No mills were built 
here till 1826, when a mill was erected nearer the bridge; 
but it only stood for ten years, when it was destroyed by 
fire. Silleck's Landing was the town landing at which the 
sloops trading by way of Eastchester Creek with the outside 
world tied up; it is now, approximately, the Mt. Vernon 




Reid's Mill, Eastchester. 

From a water-color b" Mrs. Lascelles. 




The Old House near Reid's Mill, about 1 665-1 670, Eastchester. 




-^tt- ,^-**-^,^i*i^ fc.."-.v3^i*^ ^ -fc- 



The Gate at the Entrance to the Vincent-Halsey Place, Eastchester. 




The Vincent-Halsey House, for Several Months the Executive Mansion of 
President John Adams, Eastchester. 



Eastchester and Pelham 425 

City Dock, on the south side of the churchyard of old St. 
Paul's. 

In 1694, 3- committee was appointed to consider the estab- 
lishment of a saw-mill, and to determine "the conveaniancy or 
unconveaniancy of and for the said saw-mill. ' ' In consequence, 
in 1696, Colonel Caleb Heathcote was given permission to 
erect a mill or mills on Hutchinson's River; but objection was 
made by John Pell, who, on February i, 1696/97, had been 
granted permission to erect a mill on Rattlesnake Brook, 
probably the one at Seton's Falls. It was worth while having 
a man like Colonel Heathcote interested in improvements, 
and so the town made him a new grant with permission to 
use Rattlesnake Creek Brook; it is likely that he did erect a 
mill, for on the map of 1704 showing the lands in dispute with 
Westchester, there appears the drawing of a house and the 
words "Heathcote's Mill," about at the crossing of Rattle- 
snake Brook and the Westchester path. 

When the Dutch regained possession of New York in 1673 
and 1674, the inhabitants of both Westchester and Eastchester 
gave their allegiance to the Dutch governor at New Orange 
and were allowed by Colve three schepens, or magistrates, two 
for the former and one for the latter place. John Hoit was 
the schepen for Eastchester, the easternmost of the settlements ; 
and directions were therefore given to him that "he is not to 
suffer any person or persons whatsoever to pass through 
Eastchester to or from New England ; except they can produce 
a royal pass or license from authority for the same." 

A short distance this side of the bridge by which the Boston 
Road crosses the Hutchinson River, a pleasant road leads down 
to the right to " Invermere," known in ancient days as Hunt's 
Landing. There is a famous strawberry farm on this road 
a short distance from the post-road. A few hundred rods 



426 The Story of The Bronx 

above Rattlesnake Brook, the White Plains Road, now called 
Columbus Avenue, branches off to the left and passes by the 
ancient green in front of old St. Paul's, its route being over 
the old Boston Road of 1673 for some distance. As it sweeps 
down the hill, it passes a gateway guarded by quaint and im- 
posing white posts. This is the entrance to the Halsey place, 
which was the executive mansion of President John Adams 
in October and November, 1797, several of his letters being 
dated from Eastchester. During that year, Philadelphia, the 
Federal capital, was visited by yellow fever, and Adams took 
up his residence in the Halsey house, then occupied by his 
daughter Abigail, and her husband, Colonel William Smith. 

During the Revolution, the communion service, the Bible, 
and other valuables presented to St. Paul's Church by Queen 
Anne, were buried upon this property and dug up after the 
war; this was to prevent them from being looted by the British, 
who used the church about half a mile above for a hospital, 
and who frequently occupied this section in force, so that it 
thus became the scene of many a raid and warlike encounter. 

At the time of the Revolution, this house was occupied by 
the Vincents, the smiths of the village of Eastchester. Upon 
one occasion, upon a Sunday, a French officer with the Ameri- 
cans insisted upon having his horse shod; and upon the 
refusal of Gilbert Vincent to do the work on Sunday, the 
officer struck him to the ground, killing him. Elijah Vincent, 
then took a commission from the British and became the terror 
of the American and French officers who had occasion to 
operate in the vicinity of Eastchester. According to authentic 
tradition, Elijah Vincent fully revenged his brother's violent 
death. 

The references to wolf pits and boimties offered for the ex- 
termination of the wolves show that there were many of these 




E. C. Cooper's Plan of Salt Works at City Island (1835). 
From an old print in the New York Historical Society. 




The Marshall House on Rodman's Neck, the Type of Mansion Erected in this 

Section before 1850. 




The Old City Island Bridge. 

Courtesy of the Department of Bridges, New York City. 




&^ 



The New City Island Bridge. 

Courtesy of the Department of Bridges, New York City. 



Eastchester and Pelham 427 

animals in the ancient township. Where wolves abound, 
there also are deer; and the finding of quantities of arrow- 
heads and other implements of the chase shows that this was 
a favorite hunting-ground of the Indians. No signs of per- 
manent habitation have been discovered, and it is supposed 
that the Siwanoys occupied the land only when hunting; 
that they claimed ownership that was admitted by the whites 
is shown by the early Indian deeds secured by the first settlers. 

Several years ago, the National Government deepened the 
channel of Eastchester Creek, straightened its course, and 
dredged out a basin so that vessels could ascend the stream 
at high tide and discharge their cargoes at the docks at East- 
chester. Regular steamboats carrying freight made daily 
trips to and from New York as late as 1900. 

This section is still rural ; and though there has been trolley 
connection with Mt. Vernon for a number of years, there has 
been little advancement until recently. The Boston and 
Westchester Railroad will be the cause of Eastchester's im- 
provement. The making of the Boston Post-road into a 
State road will also tend to open up the section, for, if we 
judge from the past, it will not be long before it will be torn 
to pieces to lay trolley tracks. 

Nearly all of the part of the town of Pelham that was taken 
within the city of New York is included within Pelham Bay 
Park. There is a small section in the vicinity of the Boston 
Road not included in the park, and also City Island ; the first 
part is negligible. 

City Island may be reached by train on the Suburban branch 
of the New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad to 
Bartow station. Until within a year, a one-horse, bob-tailed 
car, a relic of former days, used to connect with each train, 
and, for a fare of five cents, the passenger was taken to Mar- 



428 The Story of The Bronx 

shall's Comers at the end of Rodman's Neck ; for an additional 
fare, he was carried to the end of the island. In 1910, a mono- 
rail electric line was inaugurated ; but its first day of business 
was an unfortunate one, for the car met with an accident and 
several people were killed. The road has been run since with 
more or less success; but at this writing, the rolling stock has 
decreased to one car; and that is uncertain in its operation 
when the weather is bad, or windy — ^the very time when one 
most wants to use the Hne. 

City Island was originally called Minnewits, or Great Min- 
nefords, Island. The origin of the name is doubtful, it being 
ascribed to Peter Minuits, the Dutch Governor and purchaser 
of the island of Manhattan, and also to Minnefords, Minifers, 
or Minnewies, the original Indian proprietors. It was within 
Thomas Pell's piurchase of 1654, and also within his manor- 
grant of Pelham. It received its name of City Island from a 
scheme of the inhabitants of 1761-62 to estabHsh upon the 
island a city that was to outrival New York. General Heath 
uses the name "New City Island "in his Memoirs, so that the 
name must have been well established in Revolutionary days. 

On May 10, 1763, a ferry was established "acroost from 
Mr. Samuel Rodman's Neck to said Island." The same year 
a ferry was established from the north end of the island and 
leased to Mrs. Deborah Hicks, "the best and fairest [sic] 
bidder." On May 13, 1766, a ferry was established between 
the south end of the island across the Sound to Long Island; 
it was leased to John Barnes for five years. 

The first purchaser from Thomas Pell, the manor-lord, was 
John Smith, of the town of Bruckland [Brooklyn]. The 
island, on Jime 19, 1761, came into possession of Benjamin 
Palmer, the builder of the free bridge at Spuyten Dujrvil, for 
£2730. He appears to have suffered considerable loss during 



Eastchester and Pelham 429 

the war; for, in 1788, he sent a petition to "His Excellency, 
George Clinton, Esq., Governor in and over the State of New 
York, and Vice- Admiral of the Navy of the same," for relief. 
This failing, he again petitioned for redress of grievances in 

1789, this time to "His Excellency, George Washington, 
President of the United States." His distress was mitigated 
by a subscription, as told elsewhere. 

The Revolution prevented the accomplishment of the plan 
of building a city upon the island, though it was revived in 

1790. The island was cut up into 4500 lots, each twenty-five 
feet front and one hundred feet in depth, besides two squares, 
of thirty lots each, reserved for churches, meeting-houses, 
schools, etc. Ten pounds was the stated price of the lots, 
and many were bought and sold at that price. In 1818, 
Nicholas Haight and Joshua Husted owned nearly all of the 
island, as well as Rodman's Neck and what became later 
the Marshall estate. In the year following, forty-two acres 
passed into the possession of George W. Horton. 

In 1804, the State Legislature passed an act allowing the 
construction of a bridge between the island and the mainland 
and subscriptions were started for its erection ; but the attempt 
failed for want of support. On December i, 1873, ^ toll 
bridge, erected by a stock company, was thrown open to the 
public. It occupied the site of the bridge laid down on the 
map of 1 76 1. It was one thousand feet long with a draw of 
one hundred and twenty feet; the draw being that of the 
original Coles, or Harlem Bridge, at Third Avenue. A large 
part of the materials used in its construction came from the 
old United States frigate North Carolina, which had been 
condemned and sold by the National Government. This 
bridge was made a free bridge in 1895, at the time of annex- 
ation, and was replaced by the present fine steel structure. 



430 The Story of The Bronx 

constructed at a cost of $200,000, not including approaches, 
which was opened for public use on July 4, 1901. Work had 
been begun upon it in December, 1898. 

Notwithstanding the ferry and the bridge, City Island had 
been more or less isolated before the opening of Pelham Bay 
Park, in 1888, and the advent of the bicycle. The inhabitants 
were engaged chiefly in fishing, piloting, andpyster culture. 
The fishing was formerly very fine, and upon a Sunday or 
other holiday the old bridge was lined with ardent anglers. 
The demolition of the old wooden bridge has driven many of 
the anglers to the wharf at the south end of the island, at the 
end of the island's one long thoroughfare. In 1762, the 
owners of the island petitioned for four hundred feet under 
water, and the land was granted to them by Lieutenant- 
Governor Cadwallader Golden, May 27, 1763. When the 
new wharf was built at the lower end of the island in 1901, 
we find Mrs. De Lancey asserting her claims to the land under 
water as an inheritrix of the ancient grant, but the case was 
decided against her. The nearest railroad station is at Bartow, 
about two miles distant from the business activities of the 
island, so the people have had to depend to a great extent 
upon water communication. 

There are several yacht clubs located here, and the activities 
connected with the water constitute the principal business 
of the island. Several shipyards build and repair pleasure 
vessels, and in the winter season many of the crack yachts 
are laid up and housed here. Upon several occasions the 
defenders of the America's Gup have been so laid up. The 
yachting industry is principally with sailing vessels ; in stormy 
weather, many sailing vessels from the Sound find safe anchor- 
age near the island until the weather moderates. 

There are numerous bathing pavilions, and the bathing is 




u 



Eastchester and Pelham 431 

considered healthful, as the island extends so far into the 
Sound, and the great water-front of Pelham Bay Park with its 
lack of villages and towns prevents the contamination of the 
water by sewage. Row-boats, sail-boats, and small launches 
are plentiful ; and there are dozens of places at which they can 
be hired for sailing and fishing, while several of the hotels and 
restaurants have more than a local fame. The fishing has 
always been famous, though fallen off within the past quarter 
of a century, according to the local anglers. Bolton gives 
some marvellous stories of successful catches, both as to in- 
dividual sizes of fish and to quantity, and as he was a clergy- 
man we are, perforce, obliged to believe him. 

So self-contained and isolated were the population that when, 
after annexation, so the story goes, one of the assistant super- 
intendents of schools of the city visited the local school for 
purposes of inspection, the population waited upon him en 
masse and notified him that they had been able to get along 
for over a century without supervision, and that they did not 
propose to have their teachers and children bothered by super- 
intendents from the city. They have, however, conformed to 
the inevitable, and now have a fine, modem building, in which 
the city provides not only instruction for the children, but 
once a week, from October to May, also furnishes a free lecture 
in the evening. The colonial entrance to the school building 
seems peculiarly fitting to the locality. 

Probably, the greatest object of interest on the island is the 
"Macedonian Hotel." It bears the following legend: 

This House is the remains of the English Frigate ''Macedo- 
nian," captured on Sunday, October 25th, 18 12, by the United 
States Frigate ''United States, ^^ commanded by Capt. Stephen 
Decatur, U. S. N. The action was fought in Lat. 24° N., Long. 
2Q°jo' W., that is about 600 miles N. W. of the Cape De Verde 



432 The Story of The Bronx 

Islands off the W. coast of Africa and towed to Cowbay in 
1874. 

All of which is true, if we omit the first words of the state- 
ment: "This House is the Remains of"; though I do not 
accuse the owner of the hotel of intentionally misleading the 
public. Besides, the house is the remains of the Macedonian, 
but not of the one captured in Decatur's gallant action. The 
original British Macedonian was a new ship at the time of her 
capture, and was afterward repaired and taken into the United 
States Navy. She was blockaded in the Thames River, 
Connecticut, until the close of the War of 18 12, and then 
served as a cruiser until 1828, after which she did nothing. 
In 1835, she was broken up at the Norfolk, Virginia, navy 
yard. Meanwhile, Congress appropriated funds to build a 
new ship of the same name, which was commenced in 1832 
and launched at Gosport, Virginia, in 1836. She was rebuilt 
at Brooklyn in 1852, and broken up in 1874 ^^ Cow Bay, Long 
Island, that graveyard of condemned and obsolete vessels. 
For a time, this second, American-built Macedonian was used 
as a practice ship at the United States Naval Academy at 
Annapolis, where the figure-head of the original British frigate 
is still preserved as a relic of the heroic days of our infant navy. ^ 

^ From The United States Naval Academy, by Park Benjamin; with 
some slight changes and additions by the author. 



INDEX 



Acadians, 281, 282, 284 

Accidents, railroad, 234, 334, 428 

Accidents, steamboat, 334, 378 

Ackerman, William G., 326 

Adams, President John, 133, 178, 
426 

Adirondacks, foot-note, 197 

Advowson, 55, 75 

Agriculture, 86, 87, 89, 103, 391 

Agreement (or Association), Non- 
importation, 104, 121 

Albany, 24, 25 

Albany Post-road, 127, 128, 154, 
156, 164, 176, 185, 188, 197, 212, 
215, 217, 296, 327, 336 

Albert the Trumpeter, 35 

Aldermen, 8, 246, 248, 292 

Allan, Mr., 351,352 

Allen, Jacamiah, 124 

Alliance, French, 107 

Alsop, John, 116 

American Army, 114, 119, 137, 138, 
142, 143, 147, 150, 171, 174, 297 

American Bank Note Company, 386 

American Bridge Company, 236 

American Jockey Club, 290 

American Realty Company, 403, 

405 
Amusements, colonial, 108, 109 
Andriessen, Peter, 27 
Andros, Governor Edmund, 64, 65, 

68, 70, 251, 319 
Animals, domestic, 89 
Animals, wild, 86, 89, 302, 309 
Annes Hoeck, 5, 23, 29, 56, 57, 

185, 309 
Annexation, 5, 6, 7, 8 
Annexed District, 7, 17, 196, 242, 

243, 357 
Annhooke (Wampage), 51 
Aquahung, 16, 26, 304 
Aqueannoncke, 17 
Aqueduct Avenue, 217, 350 



Aqueduct, Catskill, 204, 337, 340 
Aqueduct, Croton, 203, 204, 285, 

293, 340, 357 
Arboriculture, 416 
Archer, Benjamin, 62, 348 
Archer, John, 59, 60, 62, 64, 185, 

211,275,276,356,396 
Archer, Samuel, 349 
Archer house, 166, 348, 349 
Area of Borough, 7 
Armories, 11, 337 
Arms, military, 120, 121, 127 
Arnold, General Benedict, 170, 340 
Artillery, 11, 144, 146, 148, 337 
Asylum, R. C. Deaf and Dumb, 411 
Athletic fields, 317, 318, 320, 341, 

346, 348 
AylyfEe Brothers, 376 

Babcock, Rev. Luke, 115, 258 

Baldwin, Colonel, 143, 144, 146 

Bailey Avenue, 342, 343, 346 

Bailey estate, 343 

Balloons, 291 

Baly, Rev. Mr., 252, 279 

Baptists, 287 

Baremore, Major, 152, 160, 165, 

166, 387 
Barlow, S. L. M., 290 
Barnes, Capt. William, 253 
Barrett's Creek, 402 
Barretto, Francis, 22, 385, 386, 387 
Barretto's Point, 22, 381, 385, 386, 

388 
Bartow mansion, 314 
Bartow station, 310, 31 1, 427, 430 
Bartow, Basil, 99, 100 
Bartow, John, 262, 424 
Bartow, Rev. John, 97, 98, 99, 106, 

219, 256, 257,273,279,280 
Bartow, Rev. Theodosius, 262 
Bartow, Theophilus, 119 
Bassett, Robert, 252 



433 



434 



Index 



Bathgate, Alexander, 318 
Bathgate, James, 290, 318 
Bath-houses, 310, 430 
Battery, Second, N. G., S. N.Y.,ii 
Bayard, Nicholas, 69 
Bayard, Samuel, 262 
Bayard, Col. Samuel Vetch, 412 
Bayard, William, 412 
Baychester, 19, 309, 310 
Baxter, Capt. Charles, 392 
Baxter's Creek, 18 
Beach Pneumatic Railway Com- 
pany, 243 
Bear Swamp, 100, 213, 290, 343, 

417 
Beck, Charles Bathgate, 281 
Bedford, 114, 169 
Bedford Park, 356 
Bellomont, Governor Lord, 80 
Belmont, 342, 355, 356 
Berkeley Oval, 348 
Berrien family, 329 
Berrien mansion, 329 
Berrien, Samuel, 330 
Berrien's Landing, 217, 346 
Berrien's Neck, 21, 327 
Bethel M. E. Church, 287 
Betts, William, 60, 79, 81, 82, 184, 

293 
Beyse, Rev, Henricus, 277 
Birkins, Daniel, 197 
Bison, 302, 308 
Bitter, Karl, 333 

Black Dog Brook, 5, 6, 19, 220, 419 
Black Rock farm, 57, 402 
Blauzes, the, 20 

Bleach, Bolton's, 194, 305, 307, 417 
Block, Adrien, 39 
"Blythe Place" estate, 386 
B'nai David congregation, 288 
Board of Trade, North Side, 10, 11, 

231,370,384 

Bockett's cot, 386 

Bogardus, Dominie Everardus, 28 

Bolton, Reginald Pelham, 129 

Bolton, Robert, 417 

Bolton, Rev. Robert, 20, 39, 60, 62, 
267, 275, 283, 318, 431 

Bonaparte, Joseph, 315 

Bonner, Robert, 290 

Borough Hall, 318, 377 

Boston Post-road, 123, 127, 128, 
144, 146, 149, 156, 167, 212, 214, 
215, 216, 240, 245, 280, 304, 308, 
322, 335. 336, 342, 391, 417, 419, 
422, 423, 426, 427 



Botanical Society and Gardens, 307, 

351,356 
Boundary disputes, 36, 37, 39, 41, 

42, 43. 47 
Bound Brook, 43 
Bowne house, 145, 311 
Bowne, Sydney B., 398 
Breda, Treaty of, 46 
Brewster, Rev. Mr., 252 
Bridges, 179, 184, 190, 204, 206, 
214, 226, 236, 307, 331, 405, 424 
Central (Macomb's Dam), 14, 15, 
16, 65, 198, 201, 202, 240, 350 
City Island, 310, 316, 429 
Farmers' (Free, Dyckman, or 
Hadley's), 128, 190, 191, 192, 
195, 196, 217, 343 
Harlem (Third Avenue), 192, 193, 

195, 196, 215, 240, 370, 429 
High, 5, 15, 16, 166, 203, 222, 

228,331,350 
Hudson Memorial, 333 
King's, 149, 150, 185, 187, 188, 

189,195,212,296,329,335 
Lenox Avenue, 206, 240 
Madison Avenue, 204, 205, 240, 

369 
Park Avenue railroad, 205, 207, 

229, 232 
Pelham, 220, 221, 309, 317 
Pontoon, 129, 133, 168, 169, 330, 

349 

Putnam railroad, 207, 238 

Second Avenue railroad, 207, 242 

Spuyten Duyvil railroad, 207 

University Heights, 207 

Washington, 205, 206, 240, 331, 
350 

Williams's, 128, 158, 184, 215, 
216, 304, 322, 356 

Willis Avenue, 206 
Bridges, Thomas, no 
Bridges, Mrs. Thomas (see Sarah 

Cornell) 
"Brightside" estate, 380 
Bristow, George H., 376 
British army, 94, 119, 125, 137, 138, 

156, 160, 176, 297 
British evacuation, 150, 175 
Broadway, 181, 185, 187, 188, 192, 

296, 335, 336 
Broadway- Lexington Avenue route, 

243, 247 
Brockett's Neck, 410 
Bronk, Antonia (Slagboom), 27, 

28 



Index 



435 



Bronk, Jonas, i6, 26, 27, 28, 62, 75, 
104, 389 

Bronk, Peter, 28 

Bronx Beautiful Society, 12 

Bronx, Borough of The, i, 6, 7, 8, 
10, II, 12, 14, 18, 26, 39, 40, 47, 
56, 69, 86, 107, 114, 119, 122, 133, 

147, 151, 175, 177, 179, 247, 248, 

249 
Bronx Chapter, D. A. R., 303, 311 
Bronx County, i o 
Bronxdale, 194, 213, 304, 343, 417 
Bronx Kills, 5,29, 105, 135, 192,360, 

364. 366 
Bronx Park, 42, 243, 291, 304, 309, 

351. 354, 356, 389, 401, 417 
Bronx River, 2, 5, 7, 9, 16, 17, 18, 
26, 39, 42, 47, 49, 60, 79, 128, 141, 
147, 148, 149, 158, 167, 184, 194, 
202, 209, 214, 229, 304, 356, 357, 
385,418 
Bronx Society of Arts and Sciences, 

12 
Brook Avenue, 16, 193 
Brooklyn, Borough of, i, 131, 177 
Brouncksland, 28, 29, 43, 48, 56, 63, 

64, 75, 179 
Browne, Josiah, 262 
Brownson Literary Society, foot- 
note, 382 
Bryant, Captain, 158 
Buckhout, Mathias, 81 
Bungay Creek, 5, 16, 29, 42, 3x8, 

381 
Bunker Hill, loss at, 147 
Burgoyne, Lieut.-Gen, John, 160, 

261, 415 
Burial Point, 410 

Burnside Avenue, 129,149,347,349 
Burr, Colonel Aaron, 17, 137, 167, 

191,360 
Burying-grounds, 263, 266, 271, 274, 

276, 281, 284, 287, 301, 313, 320, 

346, 382, 386, 392 
Bussing Avenue, 215 
Bussing's Point, 198 
Byram River, 211 
Byvanck, Tryntje, 83, 104 

Cabots, John and Sebastian, 24, 39 
Cadwallader, Col. Lambert, 150 
Calver, W. L., 129 
Campbell estate, 201 
Camping out, 316 
Canal, Erie, 364 

Mott Haven, 367-370 



Ship, 188, 196, 207, 331 
Cannon, 118, 123, 124, 127 
Carleton, Sir Guy, 174, 175, 298 
Casanova, Innocencia, 388 
Casting, Samuel, 279 
Castle Hill Neck, 15, 18, 22, 211, 

213,374,405,409, 413 
Cathcart, Lord, 155 
Catholics, Roman, 69, 251, 281, 

282, 283, 284, 285, 324, 325 
Cauldwell, State Senator, 6, 394 
Causeways, 140, 141, 184, 185, 188, 

212, 220, 234, 312, 315, 317, 336, 

356, 377, 398, 402, 412, 413 
Cedar of Lebanon, 416 
Cedar Park, 291, 292 
Cemeteries, 321, 392 
Census, 2, 8, 9 
Central Bridge {see Bridges) 
Centttry House, 207 
Chandler, Rev. Dr., 261, 408 
Charles I., 63 
Charles II., 45, 68 
Charities Department, 20, 365 
Charter, New York City, 7, 8, 68 
Chastellux, Marquis de, 168, 170 
Chester Improvement District, 8, 

292, 312 
Chimney Sweeps, the, 20 
Christian Brothers, 400, 404 
"Christ's Hotel," 360 
Church of England {see Established 

Church) 
Churches, Baptist, 287 

Congregational, 288 

Episcopalian, 254, 257, 261, 262, 
263, 267, 271, 272, 280, 285, 

312,355 
Established, 70, 97, 98, 100, 115, 

255, 257, 258, 273, 277, 279, 

280, 284 
Lutheran, 288 

Methodist, 285, 286, 287, 419 
Moravian, 288 

Presbyterian, 280, 281, 392, 412 
Reformed Dutch, 62, loi, 213, 

275, 276, 278 
Roman Catholic, 283, 284, 285, 

325 
City Island, 5, 18, 20, 23, 56, 131, 

143, 144, 160, 161, 196, 210, 287, 

310, 427,428, 429, 430 
City Island Bridge {see Bridges) 
City Island Road, 145,221,310,312 
Civil War, the, 19, 292, 392, 393 
Clafiin, Horace B., 278 



436 



Index 



Claremont, 371 

Claremont Park, 16, 289, 291, 319 

Clark, Daniel, 97, 100 

Clason, Isaac, 404 

Clason's Point, 22, 208, 284, 403, 

413 
Clason's Point Military Academy, 

404 
Clemm, Mrs., 352 
Clemm, Virginia (Mrs. Edgar Allan 

Poe), 352, 353 
Clendennin, Rev. Frank M., 265 
Clergymen, 251, 263, 277, 279, 286 
Clinton, Governor (Royal) George, 

82 
Clinton, Gen. and Gov. George, 131, 

142, 176, 298, 326, 363, 429 
Clinton, Gen. Sir Henry, 160, 168, 

302 
Clinton, Col. James, 119, 143 
Club-houses, rowing, 372 
Cock Hill, 125, 126, 134, 150, 178, 

330, 333 , , . 

Colden, Lieut.-Gov. Cadwallader, 

257- 430 
Colen Donck, 48, 59, 60, 78, 81 
Coles, John B., 193, 194, 202, 215, 

304, 370, 391 
College Point, 204 
Collegiate Reformed Dutch Church, 

276 
Colonial Dames, Society of, 294 
Columbia University, 341 
Colve, Governor, 57, 64, 66, 275, 425 
Comfort, Lucy Randall, 376 
Commissioners of Forfeiture, 191, 

325, 326, 327 
Committee of Safety, 121, 302, 360 
Concourse, the {see Grand Boule- 
vard). 
Congregationalists, 279, 288 
Congress, Continental, 84, 107, 115, 

116, 118, 119, 133, 137, 142, 157, 

274, 338, 359, 360 
Congress, Federal, 3 
Congressmen, 8 
Connecticut, i, 35, 38, 42, 47, 49, 56, 

114, 120, 123, 151,211,280,414 
Constitution, the Federal, 107, 360, 

361 
Convent, 326 

Convention, Constitutional, 360 
Convention, County, 115, 116 
Conway, General Thomas, 338 
Cook, Joseph, 197 
Cook, Walter, 333 



Cooper, James Fenimore, 83, 189, 

383. 415 
Cooper, Rev. Dr. Myles, 261, 408 
Corbiti, Austin, 302 
Cornbury, Gov. Lord, 53, 225, 279 
Cornell, Sarah, 31, 57, 84, no 
Cornell, Thomas, 31, 49, 57, 84, 401 
Cornell's Neck, 18, 22, 48, 57, 385, 

401 
Cornwallis, Lord, 149, 153, 165, 171, 

210, 302 
Corpus Christi monastery, 386 
Corsa, Andrew, 155, 171 
Corsa, Capt. Isaac, 281 
Cosby, Gov. William, 74, 75, 77 
Coster, Charles H., 237 
Council of Nine, 34 
Counties, i, 2, 67, 70, 397 
County-seat, 220, 221, 397, 398 
Court-house, 220, 254, 396, 397, 398 
Court-house, new, 375 
Courts, 8, 55, 57, 58, 61 
Cowboy tree, 328 
Cowboys, 129, 153 
Crab Island, 16, 19, 65, 372 
Crimes, 95, 96 
Crimmins, John D., 386 
Croaker Papers, 384 
CromweU families, 374, 407 
Cromwell house, 374 
Cromwell's Creek, 15, 16, 65, 105, 

217, 292, 320, 374 
Cromwell's Neck (see Castle Hill 

Neck). 
Cromwell, James, 375 
Cromwell, Col. Jolm, 374 
Cromwell, John and Elizabeth, 407, 

409 
Cromwell, Oliver, 63, 374, 409 
Crosby, Enoch (Harvey Birch), 155 
Crossings, railroad, 334, 405, 422 
Croton River, 17, 79, 202 
Crotona Improvement District, 8 
Crotona Park, 16, 291, 318, 319, 377 
Crotona Parkway, 320 
Cruger, Captain, 166 
Cunningham, Capt. William, 150 
Curling, 300 

Curtis, Captain, 144, 146 
Gushing, Captain, 168 

Dams, 187, 193, 195, 198, 199, 200, 

202, 294, 300, 305, 356 
Dash's Lane, 217, 334 
Dashwood, G. L., 349 
Dater Brothers, 289 



Index 



437 



Davis, Albert E., foot-note, 370 
Dawson, Henry B., 115, 376 
Dayts, Lonrent, 27 
Dead, list of historic, 268, 269, 270 
De Armond, Colonel, 155, 165, 166, 

298,354,387 
Debatable land, 43, 381, 386 
Decatur, Commodore Stephen, 431 
Declaration of Independence, 84, 

261,358,359 
De Conninck, Captain, 36, 209 
Deer, 53, 86, 89, 427 
Delafield, Joseph, 327 
De Lancey family, 113, 114, 115, 

389 
De Lancey mansion, 89, 305, 390 
De Lancey, Etienne (or Stephen), 

82, 104 
De Lancey, Judge James, 74, 77, 78, 

82, 83 
De Lancey, Lieut. -Col. James, 83, 

107, 129, 151, 155, 162, 163, 166, 

168, 169, 171, 172, 173, 305, 330, 

348, 391 
De Lancey, John, 72, 83 
De Lancey, John Peter, 83 
De Lancey, Oliver, 20, 84, 151 
De Lancey, Peter, 72 
De Lancey, Peter (of the Mills), 83, 

104, 151,259 
De Lancey, Susan Augusta (Mrs. 

J. Fenimore Cooper), 83 
De Lancey's Mills, 104, 154, 158, 

162, 167, 170, 214, 281, 305, 356, 

389 
De Lancey's pine, 305, 306 
Delaval, Mayor, 180 
Delavall, Thomas, 60, 78, 105 
Delpech, schoolmaster, 98 
Depredations by troops, 134, 135, 

154, 175, 261, 346 
Dermer, Capt. Thomas, 40 
Dervall, John, 80 
De Voe Park, 32 
Devoe'sNeck (or Point), 15, 65, 198, 

218, 350, 371, 372 
De Vries, Pietrus Rudolphus, 79, 8 1 
Dewilt, Clause, 81 
De Witt, Charles, 280 
Dexter, 290 
Disciples of Christ, 2d Church of the, 

288 
Dissenters, 253, 254, 258, 259, 274, 

279 

Dissisway, Marcus, 65 
Districts, Local Improvement, 8 



Dobbs Ferry, 149, 159, 160, 171, 

176 
Dogwood Brook, 14 
Dongan, Gov. Thomas, 66, 68, 80, 

225, 410 
"Dorman's Island," 317, 409 
Doughty, Elias, 59, 60, 61, 78, 81, 

184, 211 
Doughty, Mary, 32, 35, 59 
Draft riots, 393 

Dragoons, Legion (Tarleton's), 163, 
322 

Moylan's, 161, 164 

Sheldon's, 155, 161, 170, 172 
Drake, Gilbert, 118 
Drake, Col. Joseph, 119 
Drake, Joseph Rodman, 17, 394, 
^305,382,383,384,385 
Drake, Major Moses, 119 
Dress, Colonial, 90, 91 
DriU grounds, 300, 317 
Duane, James, 116 
Duke of York and Albany (James 

II-), 39, 46, 47, 49, 55. 65, 68, 

Dunderberg, the, 345 

Dutch, 48, 57, 65, 66, 70, 86, 93, 96, 

253, 275, 276, 277, 425 
Dutch garden, 299 
Dutchess County, 48, 280 
Dyckman family, 155 
Dyckman, Abraham, 172, 173 
Dyckman, Jacob, 190 
Dyckman, Michael, 168 
Dyckman's Bridge {see Faxmeis' 

Bridge) 

East Albany, 233 

East Bay Land and Improvement 
Company, 388 

Eastchester, 2, 5, 6, 7, 19, 50, 51, 53, 
57, 77, 97, 114, 119, 123, 133, 144, 
152, 164, 166, 170, 171, 173, 176, 
184, 193, 194, 195, 209, 211,214, 
229, 253, 279, 421, 423. 424 

Eastchester Bay, 15, 18, 20, 23, 30, 

140, 143, 309 
Eastchester Bridge Company, 317 
Eastchester Church, {^see St. Paul's, 

Eastchester) 
Eastchester Creek, 18, 19, 20, 52, 

104, 160, 185, 220, 423, 427 
Eastchester Parish, 256, 257 
Eastchester Road, 219, 417 
East Melrose, 371 
East Morrisania, 371 



438 



Index 



East River, i, 5, 15, 16, 18, 21, 39, 
42, 49, 56, 64, 131, 135, 139, 170, 

177, 185 
East Tremont, 342 
Echo Park, 320, 351 
Edenwald, 422 
Edict of Nantes, 82 
Edsall, Samuel, 29, 63 
Edsall, Thomas Henry, 130, 340 
Edson, Mayor Franklin, 291 
Education, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, loi, 

102, 114 
Eighth Regiment, N. G., S. N. Y., 

337 
Electric Traction, 234, 236,238,240, 

428 
Eliot Samuel (quoted) , 44 
Elm Cottage, 353 
Eltona, 371 
Emmaus, 27, 28 
Emmerick, Lieut. -Col., 152, 154, 

155, 160, 162, 163, 167, 278, 297, 

346, 391 
Emmons, Adjutant Abraham, 120 
Enos, Colonel, 160 
Entail, 293, 410 
Estimate and Apportionment, 

Board of, 8, 9 
Evacuation, British, of New York, 

150, 176 

Farm, the Grove, 42, 410, 411 

Farmer, Father (see Steinmeyer) 

Farmers' Bridge (see Bridges) 

Farragut, Admiral David G., 323 

Farragut, Loyall, 323 

Farragut, Virginia D., 323 

Fay, The Culprit, 383 

Featherbed Lane, 217, 218 

Federalists, 361, 363 

Fellows, General, 142 

Ferries, 22, 179, 182, 183, 185, 186, 

192, 208, 226, 396, 404, 411, 428 
Ferris Avenue, 411 
Ferris, James, 116 
Ferris, John, 56, 41 X 
Ferris Neck, 22, 411 
Fever, yellow, 17, 426 
Fights, 136, 141, 144, 156, 157, 158, 

162, 163, 164, 166, 167, 169, 170, 

172, 173, 174 
Fire-bugs, 275 
Fire Department, 8, 9 
Fire-ships, 130, 131, 326 
Fish and Fishing, 89, 316, 317, 318, 

409, 430, 431 



Fish, James D., 315 

Fiske, Prof. John (quoted), 107 

Fitzgerald, Edward, 97, 100 

Five Nations, the, 69, 80 

Flag, The American, 383, 384 

Flag, the National, 377 

Flagg, Major Nathan, 173 

Fleetwood Park, 290 

Fletcher, Governor Benjamin, 70, 
71, 79, 186, 255, 279 

Flower, Gov. Roswell P., 244 

Fogge, Rev. Ezekiel, 252, 279 

"Font Hill," 325 

Food, 86, 89 

Forage, 159, 160, 174 

Fordham, 2, 5, 6, 60, 61, 119, 131, 
133, 149, 154, 183, 184, 212, 213, 
221, 242, 275, 276, 305, 343, 351, 

352, 356 

Fordham Church, loi, 213, 217, 

262, 274, 275, 343, 346, 352 
Fordham Heights, 126, 129, 149, 

150, 152, 167,322,342 
Fordham Hospital, 12, 13 
Fordham Landing, 217, 346 
Fordham Manor, 61, 62, 64, 217, 

275, 278, 290, 342, 348, 366 
Fordham Ridge, 15, 16, 303, 322, 

350 
Fordham Road, 218, 276, 304, 346 
Fordham University, 213, 243, 285, 

353, 354, 356 . 
Forest Avenue Congregational 

Church, 288 
Forrest, Edwin, 325 
"Forrest's Castle," 325, 326 
Forster, William, 77, 97, 98, 99, 100, 

257 

Fort Prince Charles, 125, 126, 150 

Fort Christina, 329 

Fort, Cock Hill, 125, 126, 150 

Fort George, 128, 129, 348 

Fort Good Hope, 41 

Fort Independence Street, 128, 340 

Fort Knyphausen, 150 

Fort Lee, 131, 149 

Fort Montgomery, 130 

Fort Number One, 125, 126, 329 

Fort Number Two (Fort Swart- 
wout), 125, 126, 329 

Fort Number Three, 125, 126, 329 

Fort Number Four (Fort Inde- 
pendence), 126, 127, 128, 131, 
156, 157, 159, 160, 167, 168, 170, 
295, 328, 329, 330, 337, 338, 340, 
342 



Index 



439 



Fort Number Five, 128, 337, 343 
Fort Number Six, 129, 344 
Fort Number Seven, 129, 149, 346 
Fort Number Eight, 129, 149, 166, 

168, 169, : 73, 174, 347, 348, 349 
Fort Schuyler, 23, 412, 415 
Fort Washington, 127, 131, 133, 135 

142, 149, 151, 152, 154, 159, 210, 

348, 349 

Fortifications, 118, 119, 124, 125, 
126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 134, 135, 
141, 149, 152, 156, 158, 167, 330, 

349, 412 

Fowler, Colonel, 165, 166, 387 

Fowler, John, 124 

Fowler, Judge Jonathan, 123 

Fox, George, 63, 272 

Fox's Corners, 219, 380 

Franklin, Benjamin, 133, 225 

Franz Sigel Park, 292, 372 

Freeholders, 113, 116 

Freight station and yards, 229, 230, 
292, 386 

French, Francis, 60 

"French Neutrals," 282 

French settlement at Williams- 
bridge, 418 

French troops, 168, 283, 298 

Funerals, no, in, 112 

Furniture, colonial, 88 

Gage, General, 147 
Galloway, Dr. (quoted), 138 
Gardeners, market, 374, 385, 386, 

407 
Gates, Gen. Horatio, 109, 155, 238, 

Gaynor, Mayor William J., 1 1 

Gazette, Rivington's, loi 

Gazetteer, Rivington's Royal, 117, 

120, 123 
General Slocum disaster, 378 
G6net, Citizen, 362 
Gentlemen's Driving Association, 

289 
George III., 125, 274, 298, 391 
George's Point, 81, 293, 294 
Germans, 286, 288, 371, 374, 385, 

386, 407 
Gesellen islands, 19 
Giles, William Ogden, 127, 295, 340 
Gill, Lieutenant, 164 
Gist, Colonel, 162, 322 
Givan's Creek, 219 
Glenn, Henry, 118 
Glover, Charles, 97, 100 



Glover, Colonel John, 143, 144, 146, 

311, 420 
Glover's Rock, 311 
Godwin, Joseph, 213, 335 
" Godwin's Island," 335 
Golf, 216, 300, 314 
Gomez, Estevan, 24 
Goose Island, 20 
"Gordon riots," 359 
Gotshall, W. C, 247, 248 
Gott, Mr., 100 
Gouverneur, Sarah (Mrs. Lewis 

Morris), 359 
Grace P. E. Church, 271 
Graham, Isabella, 74, 358 
Graham, James, 2, 259, 381, 387 
Graham, Col. Jonathan G., 120, 

131, 141,311 
Graham, Lewis, 262 
Graham mansion, 165 
Gramatan, 51 
Grand Avenue, 293 
Grand Central Station, 188, 230, 

231, 234 
Grand Central Terminal, 231 
"Grange," the Hunt, 383, 385 
Grant, General, 154 
Grasse, Comte de, 171 
Graydon, Captain (quoted), 94 
"Gray Mare" boulder, the, 316 
Great Eastern, the, 21 
Greenbush, 233 
Greene, Lieut.-Col. Christopher, 

173 
Greene, Ma j. -Gen. Nathanael, 149, 

166, 167, 274 
Guides, 155, 168, 171, 172, 173 
Gun Hill, 357 
Gun Hill Road, 128, 157, I59f 215. 

216, 293, 322, 341 
Guy Fawkes Day, 108 



Hadden (or Heddy), John, 59, 79, 

81, 82, 184, 212, 293 
Hadley, George, 191, 293, 326 

Hadley, William, 327 
Half-Moon, the, 331, 332, 333 
Hall, Edward Hagaman, 129 
"Hall of Fame," 347, 353 
Halleck, Fitz-Greene, 383, 384 
Hamilton, Alexander, 264, 360, 361 
Hamilton, Andrew, 78 
Hammond, Lieut.-Col. James, 119 
Hand, Col. Edward, 141 
Hand's Riflemen, 141, 311, 398 



440 



Index 



Hardenbroeck, Margaret (Mrs. 

Frederick Philipse), 79, 81 
Harlem, 26, 28, 43, 47, 61, 131, 177, 

I79>I93, I95>275,276 
Harlem Bridge {see Bridges) 
Harlem Bridge Company, 195 
Harlem Bridge, Morrisania, and 

Fordham Railroad Company, 239 
Harlem Freight Terminal, 370 
Harlem Heights, 148 
Harlem, Plains of, 26 
Harlem River, i, 2, 5, 6, 9, 14, 15, 

16, 25, 26, 29, 48, 64, 86, 89, 125, 

130, 149, 154, 160, 168, 177, 179, 
192, 193, 198, 199, 201, 202, 210, 
360, 367 

Harris, Lieutenant, 174 
Harryson, Katherine, 58 
Hart Island, 5, 20, 39, 56, 160 
Hartford, 41 

Haskins, John B., 239, 394 
Hatfield, Colonel, 166 
Hazen, Lieut..-Col., 169 
Headquarters map, 128, 130, 134 
Heath, Maj.-Gen. William, 128, 130, 

131, 136, i39> 140, 141, 142, 143, 
152, 156, 158, 164, 172, 175, 297, 
322, 326, 328, 341, 348, 357, 408, 
428 

Heathcote, Ann (Mrs. James De 

Lancey), 83 
Heathcote, Col. Caleb, 71, 83, 253, 

254, 272, 273, 279, 280, 397, 398, 

425 
Heathcote, Martha (Mrs. Johnson), 

83 
Heine statue, 373 
Heintz, Louis J., 223, 373 
Hell Gate, 40, 186 
Henly, Major, 136 
Henry Clay disaster, the, 334 
Henry VII., 24 
Hermans, Augustine, 31, 410 
Herter, Professor Ernst, 373 
Hessians, 127, 134, 137, 143, 157, 

158, 348 
Hewitt, Mayor Abram S., 243, 244 
High Bridge {see Bridges) 
Highbridge Road, 213, 217, 222, 342 
Highbridgeville, 10, 350 
High Island, 5, 20 
Highlands, Hudson, 130, 152, 160, 

.174 
Highland Turnpike Company, 212, 

336 
High School, Gouverneur Morris, 9 



Highways, Commissioner of, 222 
Hildreth, J. Homer, foot-note, 370 
Hodson, Rev. John Merlin, 278 
Hoe, Col. Richard M., 270, 380 
Hogg Island, 105, 365 
Hoit, John, 425 
Holler's Pond, 423, 424 
Holmes, Col. James, 118, 119 
Home for the Friendless, 372 
Home for Incurables, 12, 353, 355 
Honeywell, Captain, 172, 173 
Horses, 223, 226, 240, 289, 291 
Horses, Morgan, 156 
Hospitals, 12, 13, 126 
Hotham, Commodore, 138 
Houdin, 364 
House of Refuge, 365 
Houses, colonial, 87, 88 
Howe, Admiral Lord, 17, 125, 133, 

140 
Howe, Gen. Sir William, 17, 125, 

126, 133, 134, 137, 139, 140, 

143, 147, 149, 160,310, 311, 411, 

412 
Huckleberry Island, 349 
••'Huckleberry" road, 240, 241 
Hudson, Henry, 24, 332, 333 
Hudson Memorial bridge, 333 
Hudson monument, 333, 334 
Hudson Park, 14, 327 
Hudson River, i, 2, 26, 33, 40, 47, 

79, 89, 125, 177, 326, 327, 331 
Hudson ter-centenary, 333 
Huguenots, 56, 70, 84, 412 
Hughes, Bishop John, 354 
Hull, Lieut.-Col. William, 169, 349 
Hunt burial-ground, 321 
Hunt, Josiah, 72, 410 
Hunt, Margaret, 271 
Hunt, Thomas, ist, 31, 42, 58, 64, 

374,380,409, 410,411 
Hunt, Thomas, 2d, 383 
Hunt, Thomas, 3d, 116, 262 
Hunt's Point, 22, 42, 72, 132, 219, 

247,321,380,383,388,411 
Hunter, Elias des Brosses, 314, 318 
Hunter, Governor, 277 
Hunter Island, 5, 19, 20, 39, 56, 

309, 314 
Hunter, John, 20, 314 
Hunter mansion, 314 
Hunter's Island Inn, 315 
Huntington, CoUis P., 399, 416 
Hussar, British frigate, 378 
Husted house, 419 
Hutchins, Waldo, 328 



Index 



441 



Hutchinson, Anne, 23, 29, 51, 57, 

312 
Hutchinson's River, 5, 18, 29, 39, 

50, 146, 209, 211, 214, 309, 312, 

425 
Hutton, William R., 205 

Immaculate Conception, R. C. 

Church of the, 286 
Immigration, 4, 286, 288 
Incendiaries, 274 
Independents, 251, 252, 256, 273, 

279 
Indian cave, 329 
Indian field, 164, 303 
"Indian Rock," 403 
Indian shell mounds, 314, 316, 324, 

329 

Indian wars, 28, 29, 30, 35, 38, 43, 
44, 86,409,410 

Indians, 18, 21, 28, 29, 30, 35, 38, 
40 43. 49, 51, 59. 61, 64 69, 81, 
94, 103, 105, 162, 163, 211, 312, 
322, 329, 389, 402, 414 

Indus (quoted), 76, 77 

Ingoldsby, Major Richard, 70 

Interborough Rapid Transit Com- 
pany, 246, 247 

Interurban Railway Company, 241 

Intervale Avenue, 16 

Invermere, 425 

Ireland, Rev. John, 263 

Irish, 233, 281, 284 

Irving, Washington, 92, 178, 332 

Iselin Columbus, 315 

"Jack's Rock," 313 

Jackson, Captain, 311 

Jackson, Rev. Charles D., 265 

Jackson, Colonel, 136 

Jackson, Rev. John, 278 

Jacksonville, 421 

Jacobsen, John, 27 

James II. {^see Duke of York and 
Albany) 

Jansen Brothers, 43 

Jay, John, 116, 361 

Jeffeard's Neck, 165, 387 

Jerome Avenue, 16, 162, 199, 215, 
216,217,247,293,372 

Jerome, Leonard W., 290 

Jerome Park, 213, 214, 290, 318, 
336, 342 

Jerome Park reservoir {see Reser- 
voirs) 

Jerome, village of, 419 



Jessup, Edward, 16, 42, 84, 104, 

271, 381,411 
Jessup, Elizabeth, 42 
Jesuits, 251, 282, 285, 354 
Jogue, Father, 251 
Johnston, Rev. Joseph H., 265 
Jones, Ebenezer, 60 
Jones, John Paul, 109 
Jones, Rev. Morgan, 252, 279 
Joseph Rodman Drake Park, 321, 

382 
"Judge" Smith's road-house, 217 
Juet, 332 

Jumel, Madame, 137 
Jumel mansion, 137 

Karacapacomont, 81 

Keeler, Captain, 166 

Kemble, Lieut.-Col., foot-note, 134 

Kensico, 17, 18 

Keskeskeck, 25, 27, 39, 48, 177 

Keyser, Jochim Petersen, 28 

Kidd, Captain William, 80. 81 

Kieft, Gov. Wilhelm, 28, 30, 35, 86, 

402, 409, 410 
King's Battery {see Fort No. 6) 
Kingsbridge, 2, 7, 10, 14, 15, lOl, 
118, 119, 123, 124, 125, 130, 131, 
133. 134. 135, 141, 148, 149, 152, 
155. 156, 158, 160, 168, 171, 176, 
187, 189, 198, 234, 235, 240, 245, 
285, 325, 334, 335 
Kingsbridge Road, Bronx, 192, 212, 

213, 214, 215, 305, 343, 422 
Kingsbridge Road, Manhattan, 188, 

212 
King's Bridge {see Bridges) 
King's College, 102, 343, 360 
Kings County, i 
Knapp, Rev. Halsey, 287 
Knight, Mrs. Sarah, 225 
Knowlton, Lieut.-Col., 137 
Knox, Colonel Henry, 142, 176, 298 
Knyphausen, Lieut.-Gen., 127, 138, 

143, 148, 149, 150 
Kosciusko, 166 

Laaphawachking, 317 
Labadists, the (quoted), 89 
Laconia Park, 220, 419 
Lafayette Avenue, 219, 386 
Lafayette, Marquis de, 171, 219, 

362, 364, 381, 386 
Land grants, 26, 29, 30, 31, 34, 42, 

43, 46, 49, 50, 56, 57, 59, 64, 65, 

200, 219 



442 



Index 



Land tenure, 92, 113 

Lasher, Colonel, 127 

Laurel Hill, 348, 349 

Lauzun, Due de, 170 

Laws against Catholics, 283 

Laws, the Duke's, 49 

Lebanon Hospital, 13 

Lee, Maj.-Gen. Charles, 109, 124, 
138, 142, 144, 152, 297, 338 

Lee, Major Harry, 155, 167 

Lee, Gen. Robert E., 347 

Leggett, Gabriel, 22, 84, 381 

Leggett, John, 210 

Leggett, William, 165, 387 

Leggett 's Brook, 43 

Leggett's Point, 42, 235, 385, 386 

Legislature, State, 2, 4, 7, 10, 18, 33, 
94, 188, 191, 193, 194, 195, 198, 
201, 229, 230, 244, 262, 263, 286, 

291, 317, 337, 396, 410, 429 

Leisler, Jacob, 56, 69, 70, 84, 210 

Lent, Abraham, Jr., 197 

Lewis, Rev. Isaac, 280 

Lewis, S., 126 

Lewis, Thomas, 60, 78 

Lexington, battle of, 117 

Libraries, 10, 399 

Light-houses, 19, 20, 414 

Lincoln, Gen. Benjamin, 142, 156, 
168, 170, 297, 298, 328 

Lincoln Hospital, 12, 378 

Little Minneford's Island (see City- 
Island) 

Little Mothers, society of, 315 

Little Stanton, the, 161 

Livingston, Janet (Mrs. Richard 
Montgomery), 338 

Livingston, Philip, 116, 416 

Livingston, Philip I., 262, 263 

Livingston, Philip van Brugh, 118 

Livingston, Rev. Dr., 278 

Livingston, Chancellor Robert, 338 

Livingston, Robert, 69, 80 

Lockwood, Captain, 166 

Locust Point, or Island, 23 

London, Treaty of, 65 

Long Island, 18, 20, 58, 151, 166, 
185, 385, 428 

Long Island, battle of, 131, 138, 143, 
151, 302 

Long Island Sound, i, 5, 15, 18, 20, 
23, 40, 47, 56, 80, 89, 135, 154, 
177, 185, 220, 235, 309, 415 

Long Reach patent, 53 

Lorelei fountain, 373 

Loring, Commissary, 150 



Lorillard, Jacob, 353, 355 
Lorillard mansions, 304, 307 
LoriUard, Pierre, 307, 356, 419 
Lossing, Benson J., 129, 153 
Lottery, 194 

Louis Philippe d 'Orleans, 364 
Louis XVI., 362 
Lounsberry, WiUiam, 124 
Lovelace, Gov. Francis, 61, 182, 

224, 356 
Low, Isaac, 116 
"Lower Cortlandt's," 296 
Lower Yonkers, 2 
Loyalists (see Tories) 
Ludlow, Gabriel, 405 
Lutheran churches, 288 
Lydig, David, 356, 389 
Lynch, Dominick, 284, 404 

Macadam, John Loudon, 83, 225 
Macedonia, the frigate, 431, 432 
Macedonian Hotel, 431, 432 
Macomb, Alexander, 197 
Macomb, Eliza, 290 
Macomb house, 335, 353 
Macomb, Mrs. Mary C. P., 335 
Macomb, Robert, 198, 199, 200,217, 

335 
Macomb's Dam and Bridge (see 

Bridges) 
Macomb's Dam Park, 320, 372 
Macomb's Dam Road, 201, 216, 

217, 222, 372 
Macomb Street, 336 
Madison Square Garden, 231 
Magaw, Col. Robert, 127, 150 
Mails, 224, 225, 356 
Malefactors, 95 
Mamaroneck, 49, 72, 83, 114, 160, 

273 
Manhattan, Borough of, i, 7, 124, 

125, 177, 235 
Manhattan Company, 17 
Manhattan Indians, 21, 25, 34, 43, 

211 
Manhattan Island, 25, 40, 43, 47, 

68, 126, 141, 149, 158, 159, 176, 

177, 183, 186, 195, 211, 221, 241 
Manhattan Railway Company, 243 
Manor-houses: Morrisania, 16, 29, 
135, 155, 162, 170, 218, 235, 
271, 360, 362, 365 

Pelham, 314 

Scarsdale, 83 

Van Cortlandt, 286, 295 

Yonkers, 88, 296 



Index 



443 



Manor-lords, 55 
Manors, 2, 53, 54, 61, 75 
Manufacturing, 86, 103, 104, 366, 

377 
Mapes, Daniel, 391 
Mapes's Temperance Hotel, 167 
Maps, 126, 128, 130, 134, 221, 222, 

317, 329, 366, 367, 406, 419, 425 
Marbleheaders, 143, 144 
Marble Hill, 124, 125 
Marion, Col. Francis, 167 
Markets, 71 
Martin, Monsieur, 131 
Mather, Rev. Warham, 253, 254, 

255, 279 
Maud S., 290 
May-day, 108 
McAlpine, W. H., 196, 205 
McDonald, John B., 245 
McDougal, Gen. Alexander, 119, 

141, 142 
Mechanics, 424 
Meeting-houses, 252, 253, 254, 272, 

273. 274, 275 
Megapolensis, Dominie, 252 
MeUen, President, 249 
Melrose, 232, 233, 288, 292, 371 
Melrose Park, 32 1 
Mentipathe, 65 
Mercenaries, German, 127, 134, 137, 

143. 147, 148, 149, 153. 154 

Methodists, 285, 286 

Metropolitan Street Railway Com- 
pany, 241 

Middletown, 309 

Mifflin, Gen. Thomas, 125, 130, 142 

Milbourne, Jacob, 70 

Mile Square, the, 60, 79, 141, 147, 
152,155,162,174,215,422 

Military companies, 393 

Militia, 55, 118, 119, 120, 125, 127, 
137, 138, 159. 161, 166, 170, 172, 

174, 255 
Mill Brook, 15, 16, 18, 104, 155, 

193, 229, 267, 271, 289, 292, 319, 

358, 359 
Mill Creek, 19 
Miller, Rev. John, 253 
Milliken, David, 238 
Mills, 82, 83, 104, 105, 141, 193, 

197, 198, 199, 216, 294, 305, 307, 

356, 398, 422, 423. 424, 425 
Milner, Rev. John, 99, 257, 258 
Ministers (see Clergymen) 
Minneford's Island, 39, 428 
Minuits, Gov. Peter, 428 



"Mishow Rock," 316 
Mohegan Indians, 25, 43, 211 
Money, loi, 105, 106, 107, 260 
Monroe, James, 362 
Montaigne, Rev. John, 276 
Montefiore Home, 341 
Monterey, 342 
Montgomery, Gen. Richard, 109, 

118, 124, 127, 128, 278, 338, 339, 

340 
Monument at Yorktown, N. Y., 173 
Monuments, 173, 300, 303, 311, 323, 

333. 353, 373> 374, 382, 392 
Moravian Church, 288 
Moreau, General, 364 
Morgan, Gen. Daniel, 167 
Morgan, J. Pierpont, 237 
Morgan, Rev. Joseph, 279, 280 
Morrisania, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 10, 16, 21, 

73, 133, 137, 140, 143, 152, 159. 

162, 166, 168, 172, 193, 195, 217, 

229, 245, 267, 271, 287, 288, 358, 

371 ^ . 

Morrisania Improvement District, 8 
Morrisania Manor, 75, 84, 104, 318, 

358, 359, 366, 370 
Morrisania, Old, or Central, 358, 

366, 371 
Morris Dock, 200 
Morris family, 21, 62, 84, 113, 115, 

360 
Morris, Gouverneur, First, 84, 267, 

271, 318, 359» 360, 361, 363, 366, 

409 
Morris, Gouverneur, Second, 238, 
267, 268, 318, 319, 363, 366, 367, 

371,377 
Morris, Gouverneur, house, 364 
Morris, Mrs. Gouverneur (Anne 

Cary Randolph), 267, 363 
Morris, Roger, house, 137, 150 
Morris Heights, 347, 349 
Morris, John, 62 
Morris, John A., 290 
Morris, Colonel Lewis (First), 29, 

43,62, 63,65,73,75, 105,319 
Morris, Judge Lewis (Second, called 

Senior), 63, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 

78, 82, 84, 96, 99, 277, 358, 381, 

387 
Morris, Lewis (Third, called Jun- 
ior), 2, 3, 72, 84, 114, 259, 280, 

358,359 . _ , , 

Morris, Gen. Lewis (Fourth, the 
Signer), 84, 105, II5, "6, 117, 
192, 193, 358, 362, 366, 375, 409 



444 



Index 



Morris, Lewis G., 199, 200, 203, 211, 
267 

Morris, Mary, 73, 105 

Morris Park race-track, 214, 220, 

249, 290, 291, 401, 417 
Morris, Capt. Richard, 29, 62, 63, 

66,73 
Morris, Hon. Richard, 359 
Morris, Robert, 361 
Morris, Robert Hunter, 358 
Morris, Col. Roger, 296 
Morris, Gen. Staats Long, 289, 358, 

359, 363, 366 
Morristown, N. J., 65 
Morris, William, 62 
Mosholu, 15, 82, 128, 287, 296, 334, 

336 
Mosholu Avenue, 293 
Mosholu Parkway, 304 
Mott Avenue, 247 
Mott Haven, 10, 367, 371 
Mott, Jordan L., 366, 367 
Mount Eden, 342 
Moxint Hope, 320, 342 
Mount St. Vincent de Paul, 14, 130, 

325. 326 
Mount Vernon, 5, 6, 7, 147, 209, 

215,312,424 
Mount Vernon Avenue (Mile 

Square Road), 162, 163, 216, 293 
Mundy's Lane, 422 
Munro, Rev. Harry, 258 
Muschenheim, William C., 126, 329, 

333 
Muscoota, 79, 177 
Museums, 294, 308, 326 

Nash, Francis H., 376 

Nassau Hall (Princeton College), 

102 
National Guard, 11, 337 
Negro Fort, 128, 157 
Nemeran, 81 

Nepperhaem {see Yonkers) 
Nether Dutch Church, 62, 348 
Neutral Ground, 152, 153, 160, 167, 

170, 305, 327 
New Amsterdam, 25, 30, 32, 34, 37, 

45,46,79,93.96, 178,329 
New Englanders, 92, 114 
New Jersey, 68, 74 
"New Lights," 279 
New Netherland, 26, 29, 34, 42, 46, 

211,251 
New Orange, 65 
"New" Parks, 291, 377 



New Rochelle, 5. 56, 72, 99, 119, 127, 
148, 149, 156, 159, 194, 214, 235, 

258, 274, 280 
Newspapers, 77, 102, 103, 116 
New Year's Day, 108 
New York Bay, 177 
New York City, i, 5, 6, 7, 17, 19, 20, 

47, 57, 68, 69, 78, 80, 107, 116, 

123, 133, 139, 166, 186, 188, 193, 

201, 291, 294, 298 
New York Connecting Railway, 236 
New York County, 8, 196 
New York Hydraulic and Bridge 

Company, 198 
New York Line regiments, 119, 

141 
New York Province, 26, 47, 70, 74, 

98, 113, 119 
New York State, 42, 68, 93, 173, 

363 
New York University, 331, 346, 353 
Nicholas, Colonel, 131 
Nicholson, Col. Francis, 68, 69 
NicoUs, Col. Richard, 31, 39, 42, 46, 
47, 48, 49, 52, 56, 57, 59, 65, 105, 
179, 192, 219, 365, 402, 410 
Nimham, 164, 303, 329 
Ninety-Six, S. C, 166 
Nonpareil, the, 200 
North Beach, ferry to, 208 
North Brother Island, 12, 19, 378 
North Carolina, U. S. frigate, 429 
North New York, 231, 370, 371 
North Riding, 47, 50 
Nuasin, 65, 372 
Nuton, Captain-lieutenant, 36 

Oak Point, 22, 235, 386 

Oakley, Lieutenant, 166 

Officers, American, 137, 138 

Officers, French, 89, 426 

Ohio Athletic Field, 346 

Old Ferry Point, 22, 407, 411 

Olin, Bishop, 419 

Olinville, 356, 419 

Oloff Park, 340 

O'Neale, Hugh, 35, 59 

O'Neil, Rev. D. P., 281, 283 

Oostdorp {see Westchester) 

Orange, Prince of, 57 

Orchard Beach, 316 

Orphan Asylum, Roman Catholic, 

331, 343, 344 
Orr, Alexander E., 244 
Osborn, Gov. Sir Danvers, 83 
Outposts, 135, 139, 140, 142, 143, 



Index 



445 



Outposts — ( Continued^ 

152, 154, 155, 156, 157, 158, 160, 
175,311,328,365,417,420 



Palisades, the, 326, 331 

Palmer, Benjamin, 190, 428 

Palmer, Joseph, 58 

Paparinemo, 14, 19, 79, 1 81, 183, 

184, 190, 197, 211, 212,335 
Park Avenue, 230 
Park Department, 7, 316, 319, 320, 

423 
Parks, 9, 16, 192, 289, 293, 321, 350 
Parkways, 18, 128, 194, 289, 292, 

304,421 
Parsons, Brig. -Gen., 142, 156 
Parsons, William Barclay, 244 
Partisans, 151, 155, 163, 167 
Patents, land, 15, 16, 49, 51, 52, 53, 

66, 74, 75, 79, 211, 389, 402, 410, 

413 
Patroonships, 31, 32 
Patti family, the, 421 
Paulding, Colonel, 131 
Peace, 174, 299 
Peace conference, 133 
Peddlers, 90, 297 
PeekskiU, 130 

Pelham Avenue, 304, 308, 309 
Pelham Bay, 19, 309 
Pelham Bay Park, 5, 56, 147, 221, 

247, 291, 292, 309, 315, 409, 416, 

427, 430, 431 
Pelham Bridge, 220, 221, 309, 317, 

412,413,423 
Pelham Manor, 5, 39, 53, 55, 70, 

84, 98, 119, 147, 214, 220, 253, 

310, 428 
Pelham Neck, 309 
Pelham Parkway, 194, 219, 304, 

309, 310, 417 
Pelham Road, 221 
Pelham, township of, 2, 5, 7, 56, 194, 

421, 427 
Pell, Dr., 224 

Pell, John, 56, 84, 313, 314, 425 
Pell, John, D. D., 56 
Pell, Joshua, 314 
Pell's Neck, or Point, 5, 23, 140, 142, 

143, 420 . 

Pell's Point, battle of, 144, 145, 146, 

147, 221, 311, 313 
Pell, Thomas, 23, 35, 39, 48, 49, 50, 

51, 53, 56, 313, 314, 428 
Penfield estate, 422 



Penn, WUliam, 26, 73, 333 
Pennsylvania Line regiments, 125, 

127, 129 
Pennyfield, 413 
Pequot Indians, 211 
Percy, Earl, 139 
Pfingster, 108 
Philipse, Frederick, (First), 60, 78, 

79, 80, 81, 82, 186, 293 
Philipse, Frederick (Second), 187 
Philipse, Col. Frederick, (Third), 2, 

74, 77, 116, 188, 190, 191, 258, 

296, 325 
Philipse, Margaret, 60 
Philipse, Mary, 296 
PhUipseburgh, Manor of, 2, 79, 119, 

186, 191, 197, 212, 293, 325 
Philipse's {see Yonkers) 
Phcenix, the, 130 
Pickens, Colonel, 167 
Pilgrim Baptist Church, 287 
Pirates, 80 
Plymouth, 40 
Poe Cottage, 321, 3 5i, 352 
Poe, Edgar Allan, 335, 351, 352 
Poe Park, 213, 321, 351 
Pole, Sarah, 63 
Police, 8 
Polo, 300, 412 
Popiilation, 9, 246 
Port Chester, 152, 235, 247, 248 
Porter, Gen. Josiah, 300 
Port Morris, 16, 21, 22, 43, 73, 208, 

231,371,377,385,386,413 
Postman, 213, 224, 225 
Posts {see Mails) 
Powell, Rev. William, 264, 355 
Presbyterians, 251, 280 
Presbyteries, 280, 281 
Prescott, Col. William, 141 
Princeton College, 102 
Prisons, British, 150, 295 
Pritchard, Captain, 172 
Prospect Hill Road, 144, 221, 310, 

423 
Protectory, Roman Catholic, 399 
Protest, White Plains, the, 116, 117, 

123, 258, 264 
Provincial Assembly, 53, 62, 66, 68, 

70, 77, 82, 83, 112, 113, 117, 186, 

187, 192, 221, 253, 254, 255, 264, 

280, 296, 348, 397 
Provincial Congress, 118, 120, 121, 

122, 127, 131, 360 
Provoost, Bishop Samuel, 263 
Provost, William, 104 



446 



Index 



Pugsley's Creek, 15, 18, 22, 73, 402, 

406 
Purchases, land, 25, 26, 27, 29, 33, 

39, 40, 42, 48, 50, 51, 78, 184, 314, 

428 
Putnam County, i, 47, 238, 280, 281 
Putnam, Maj.-Gen. Israel, 142 
Putnam, Col. Rufus, 127, 148, 338 

Quakers, 4, 30, 63, 78, 251, 258, 259, 

271,272,273,274,284 
Quebec, 338 
Queen Anne, 266, 426 
Queens Borough, 1,18, 177, 236 , 
Queens County, i, 47 
Queen's Rangers, 120, 121, 152, 155, 

I57>4ii 
Quimby, John, 56 
Quinnahung, 22, 381 
Quit-rent, 53, 54, 55, 71, 75, 79, 183, 

197, 199, 410 

Race-courses, 289, 290, 291 
Racing, 108, 289 

Raids, 122, 131, 151, 152, 155, 160, 
162, 165, 166, 167, 168, 169, 172, 
173, 174, 298 
Railroad commissioners, 248, 249 
Railroads: Elevated, 196, 227, 232, 
235, 238, 241, 242, 245, 249, 354 
Harlem, 207, 213, 228, 229, 230, 
232, 233, 234, 285, 342, 356, 
366, 371 
Long Island, 236 
New York Central & Hudson 
River, 126, 192, 207, 228, 232, 

234, 236, 237, 247, 285, 326, 334, 
342 

New York, New Haven & Hart- 
ford, 28, 180, 230, 231, 232, 

235, 236, 247, 249, 386 

N. Y., N. H. & H., Suburban 
branch (Harlem River & Port 
Chester), 214, 235, 236, 249, 
310,360,389,405,427 

New York & Port Chester, 247, 
248, 249 

New York, Westchester & Bos- 
ton, 231, 247, 427 

Port Morris branch, 232 

Putnam, 192, 207, 236, 237, 300, 
336 

Spuyten Duyvil & Port Morris, 

^^33 

West Side & Yonkers, 238 
Randall, John, surveyor, 366 



Randall's Island, 135, 159, 192, 364, 

365, 366 
Randolph, Anne Cary (Mrs. Gou- 

verneur Morris), 267, 363 
Rapelje, George, 317 
Rapid Transit Commission, 244, 245 
Rat Island, 20 
Rates, railroad, 232, 243 
Rattlesnake Brook, 19, 214, 422, 424 
Rattlesnakes, 53 
Raven, the, 351 
Rawdon, Lord, 155 
Read, Colonel, 143, 144, 145, 146 
Reconnaissance, 168, 170, 292, 302 
Records, city and town, 131, 302, 

396, 398, 406 
Referendum, 10, 244 
Refugees, 119, 154 
Regiment, First Continental Foot, 

141 
Regiment, Glover's, 143, 144, 162 
Regiments, American, 131 
Regiments, British, 129, 343, 348 
Regiments, Massachusetts, 168, 174 
Regiments, New York, 119, 172 
Regiments, Pennsylvania, 125, 127, 

129 
Regiments, Rhode Island, 173 
Reid's Mill, 19, 104, 423, 424 
Reign of Terror, 362 
Relics, military, 337, 343, 347 
ReHgion, 251 
Rensellaerswyck, 28, 32 
Renwicks, 200, 201 
Reserviors: Jerome Park, 128, 213, 
215,290,336,343,417 

Williamsbridge, 158, 216, 357 
Retreat, American, 148 
Rhode Island, 156, 159, 160, 168 
Richardson, Elizabeth (Mrs. Leg- 

gett), 84 
Richardson, John, 16, 42, 64, 83, 84, 

104, 381 
Richbell's purchase, 49 
Richmond Borough, I 
Rider & Conkling, 368 
Riis, Jacob, settlement, 315 
Riker's Island, 19, 20, 385 
Ritzema, Colonel, 119 
Riverdale, 14, 20, 234, 326, 327, 336 
Riverside Hospital, 12 
Rivington, James, loi, 117, 120, 123, 

411 
Roads, 191, 193, 194, 201, 212, 213, 

214, 215, 216, 217, 218, 219, 220, 

221, 222, 226, 317, 390 



Index 



447 



Robin, Abbe, 283 

Rochambeau, Comte de, 89, 168, 

170, 292, 298, 345 
Rochambeau, the, 345 
Rocking stone, 308 
Rockland County, 48 
Rodman, Samuel, 23, 185 
Rodman's Neck, 5, 18, 19, 20, 23, 

140, 145, 161, 185, 309, 310, 311, 

428 
Rogers, Col. Robert, 107, 120, 152 
Roosevelt, Theodore, quoted, 361 
"Rose Bank" estate, 387 
"Rose Hill" estate, 354 
Rose, the, 130 
Rutledge, John, 133 
Rye, 114, 253, 260, 273 

Sackwrahung {see Bungay Creek) 
San Antonio, Rio, 24 
Sander's Landing, 423 
Satanstoe, 189, 224, 415 
Sauthier, Joseph Claude, 126, 317, 

329 
Sawmill Lane, 219 
Sawmill River, 33, 35, 212 
Scammel, Colonel, 171 
Scarsdale Manor, 5, 18, 72 
Schools, 8, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 123, 

325, 326, 343, 431 
Schuldam, the, 160, 161, 210 
Schuyler, Gen. Philip, 338, 415 
Schwab, Justus H., 347 
Scott, General, 142, 156, 158 
Screven's Point, 407 
Seabury, Nathaniel, 100 
Seabury, Rev. Samuel, 100, loi, 

106, 115, 123, 209, 260, 261, 265, 

266, 274, 297, 408 
Sears, Captain Isaac ("King"), 122 
Sedgwick Avenue, 128, 215, 217, 

276,336,342,343,349 
Selwyns, Dominie Henricus, 62 
Servants, bond, or indentured, 94 
Seton Hospital, 12, 126, 328 
Seton's Falls, 9, 321, 422, 425 
Settlers, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 35, 39, 44, 

45, 48, 50, 61, 86, 87, 97, 114, 177, 

220, 251, 271, 424 
Sheep pasture, Westchester, 406 
Sheldon, Colonel, 155, 161, 170, 

172 
Shell mounds, Indian, 314, 316, 324, 

329 
Shepard, Colonel, 143, 144, 146, 147 
Ship-building, 210, 350, 430 



Shonnard's History of Westchester 

County, 406 
Shorackkappock, 21, 327 
Shore Road (Eastern Boulevard), 

221,310,312,313 
Sickles, Gen. Daniel, 428 
Sickles, John, 192 
Sigel, Gen. Franz, 292 
Silleck's Landing, 424 
Simcoe, Lieut. -Col. John G., 120, 

121, 152, 162, 163, 164, 167, 297, 

303, 322, 329 
Sisters of Charity, 2, 325, 328, 344, 

400 
Sisters of the Poor of St. Francis, 

Siwanoy Indians, 25, 43, 211, 214, 

410, 417, 427 
Skating, 300 
Skinners, 153 
Slaves, 2, 4, 93, 95 
Sloop trade, 161, 209, 398, 424 
Sloughter, Gov. Henry, 69, 70 
Smith, Dirck, 60 
Smith, Captain John, 39 
Smith's road-house, "Judge," 217, 

374 

Smugglmg, 104, 407 

Snakapins, 22, 31 

Snuff-mill, 307, 356 

Society, classes of colonial, 91, 92 

Society for the Propagation of the 
Faith, 97, 98, 99, 254, 255, 257, 
258, 259, 262, 272, 277, 279 

Soldiers' monument. West Farms, 

392 
Sons of Liberty, 114 
South Belmont, 342 
South Brother Island, 19 
South Fordham, 342 
South Melrose, 371 
Southern Boulevard, 245, 247, 377, 

381 
Spectacle Island (see City Island) 
Spencer, Ma j. -Gen., 142 
Spicer's Neck, 410, 411 
"Split Rock" Road, 144, 146, 221, 

310,311,313 
Spoutmg sprmg, 178, 330 
Spuyten DuyvU, 35, 82, 126, 167, 

179, 327- 330 
Spuyten Duyvil Creek, i, 2, 14, 15, 
33, 61, 79, 130, 133, 149, 168, 170, 
174, 177, 178, 179, 181, 182, 197, 
207, 210, 212, 215, 221, 235, 245, 
331 . 334 



448 



Index 



Spttyten Duyvil Neck, 20, 82, 126, 

211, 293,327,333 
"Spy " oak, the, 413 
Staats, Elizabeth (Mrs. Lewis 

Morris), 358 
Stages, 213, 225, 226, 299 
Standard, Rev. Thomas, 98, 257, 

273 
Staten Island, i 

States-General, 34, 41, 42, 45, 57 
Station, Pennsylvania Railroad, 236 
Station, Union, 231 
Steamboats, 207, 226, 227, 350, 398, 

427 
Steenwyck, Cornelius, 61, 62, 276, 

348 
Steenwyck, Margaretta, 62, 276, 

348 
Steinmeyer, Father, 282 
Stephens, Clinton, 404 
Stepping Stones islands, 20, 414 
Stinardtown, 309 
Stirling, Gen. Lord, 112, 142 
Stockbridge Indians, 162, 303, 329, 

336 
Stoll, Cornelius Jacobsen, 27 
StoU, Jacob Jans, 29 
Stony Point, or Island {see Port 

Morris) 
Stoughton, Charles, 22 
Street Improvements, Department 

of, 7 
Street railways, 238, 239, 240, 391 
Streets, 9, 290, 381, 384, 423 
Stuyvesant, Gov. Peter, 31, 34, 35, 

36, 37, 38, 41, 44, 46, 57, 178, 211, 

329 
St. Anne's P. E, Church, Morri- 

sania, 267, 271, 319, 367 
St. Francis's Hospital, 13 
St. James Park, 320, 351 
St. James's P. E. Church, 320 
St. John's College (Fordham Uni- 
versity), 285 
St. John's Park, 231 
St. John's P. E. Church, Yonkers, 

"5, 258 
St. Joseph's Hospital, 13 
St. Mary's Park, 291, 319 
St. Paul's P. E. Church, East- 

chester, 115, 209, 212, 249, 262, 

263, 312, 422, 425, 426 
St. Paul's P. E. Church, Morri- 

sania, 271 
St. Paul's R. C. Church, Harlem, 



St. Peter's P. E. Church, West- 
chester, 115, 212, 220, 254, 257, 
258, 261, 262, 263, 265, 275, 390, 
396, 399 

St. Raymond's R. C. Cemetery, 321, 
322 

St. Raymond's R. C. Church, 285, 

399 

St. Stephen's M. E. Church, Man- 
hattan, 287 

St. Vincent de Paul, Mount, 2 

Suburban Rapid Transit Company, 
242 

Subways, 10, 188, 217, 232, 243, 244, 
245, 246, 247, 249, 336, 377, 391, 
412, 422 

Suffrage, right of, 66 

SuUivan, Major-General, 133, 142 

Sumter, Colonel, 167 

Supreme court, 48, 244 

Surrender, Dutch to English, 49, 64, 

65 

Surrender, English to Dutch, 57, 64, 

65 
Swart wout. Col. Abraham, 126, 131 
"Switcher's Rock," 326 

Talman, Pierre C, 394 
Tapestries, Gobelins, 419 
Tarleton, Lieut.-Col. Banastre, 153, 

163, 167, 322, 329 
Taverns, 124, 180, 183, 189, 191, 

197,315,335 
"Taylor's Island, 317 
Temple, Charlotte, 377 
Ten Farms, the, 51, 97, 219 
Tennant, Rev. William, 279 
Tetard, Dominie John Peter, 1 01, 

277, 343, 360 
Tetard 's Hill, loi, 124, 126, 131, 

181,212,343 
Third Avenue, 193, 240, 241, 242 
Thomas, Colonel, 131 
Thomas, John, 280 
Throgg's Neck, 15, 18, 20, 23, 30, 

40, 42, 48, 100, 114, 131, 133, 139, 

140, 143, 168, 170, 185, 220, 252, 

310,311,317,398,409 
Throgg's Neck Gardens, 412 
Throgmorton (or Throckmorton), 

John, 23, 30, 31, 251, 271, 401 
Tippett (or Tibbett), George, 21, 60, 

79, 81, 82, 184, 293, 329, 382 
Tippett house, 330 
Tippett's Brook, 14, 15, 35, 81, 82, 

104, 164, 178, 181, 182, 188, 197, 



Index 



449 



Tippett's Brook — {Continued) 
198, 212, 215, 293, 294, 299, 
336 

Tippett's Hill, 82, 124, 126, 131, 158 

Tippett's Neck, 21, 82, 134, 327 

Tolls, 181, 183, 186, 189, 190, 194, 
195. f99, 213, 222, 317, 336 

Tompkins, Gov. Daniel D., 94 

Topography, Borough, 14 

Tories, 83, 107, 114, 115, 117, 118, 
120, 123, 124, 130, 151, 156, 160, 
166, 169, 170, 175, 261, 264, 330, 
405, 408 

Totten, Captain, 172 

Town-hall, Morrisania, 375 

Townships, 2 

Trade, colonial, 80 

Trade, illegal, 80, 81 

Traders, Dutch, 25 

Trails, Indian, 211, 21 9, 417 

Travers, William R., 290 

Trees, 153, 297, 300, 301, 305, 306, 
312, 314, 318, 319, 328, 365, 377, 
386, 401, 405, 413, 416, 423 

Tremont, 242, 281, 287, 342, 377 

Trespassers, 35, 39 

Trescott, Major, 172 

Troops, Continental (regvtlars), 172, 

174 
True Briton, stallion, 156 
Tryon, Governor, 122 
Turneur, Daniel, 15, 43, 64, 65, 105, 

371, 372 
Turnier, Jacqueline, 65 
Turnpikes, 213, 219 
Tweed regime, 216, 377 
Twelve Farms, the, 42 
Twin City Ferry, 208, 404 
Twin Islands, 5, 20, 309, 315 

Uncas River, 178 

Underground railways {see Sub- 
ways) 
Underhill family, 407, 409 
Underhill, Isaac, 263 
Underhill, Israel, 262 
Underhill, Capt. John, 28, 409 
Underhill, Mayor Nathaniel, 123, 

259 
Union Hospital, 13 
Unionport, 15, 212, 405, 412 
Union Railway Company, 240, 241, 

247 

United Netherlands Tradmg Com- 
pany, 94 

United States Bank, 228 



United States, frigate, 431 
University Heights, 346 
University Park, 320, 351 
"Upper Cortlandt's," 154, 157, 296, 

327 
Ursuline Academy, 356 

Valentine, Dennis (Senior and Jun- 
ior), 278 
Valentine house, 156, 157,357 
Valentine's HiU, 15, 124, 137. 141, 

144,148,155,171,216 
Valentine, Stephen, 226 
Van Corlaer, Arendt, 28 
Van Cortlandt, Ann (Mrs. De 

Lancey), 82 
Van Cortlandt, Augustus, 296, 328 
Van Cortlandt Avenue, 128, 215 
Van Cortlandt, Catherine, 80, 81 
Van Cortlandt, Frederick (First), 

294. 295 
Van Cortlandt, Frederick (Second), 

296, 327, 328 
Van Cortlandt, Jacobus, 81, 82, 293, 

294, 301 
Van Cortlandt, CoL James, 118, 

259. 295, 327 
Van Cortlandt Lake, 215, 294, 300, 

336 
Van Cortlandt mansion, 181, 197, 

212, 294, 295, 296, 298, 300, 327, 

336 
Van Cortlandt, Oloff Stevenson, 340 
Van Cortlandt Park, 35, 59, 154, 

156, 162, 171, 215, 245, 287, 291, 

293. 304, 336 

Van Cortlandt, Stephanus, 69, 80, 
81, 82 

Van Courtlandt Improvement Dis- 
trict, 8 

Van Curler, Commissary, 41 

Van Dam, Rip, 75 

Van der Donck, Adrien, 32, 33, 34, 

35, 59. 294. 300. 301 
Van Elslant, Claes, 35, 36 
Van Nest, 250, 401 
Van Rensselaer, Kilian, 32, 224 
Van Ruyven, Cornelius, 252 
Van Tienhoven, Cornells, 25, 27, 36, 

209 
Van Twiller, Gov. Wouter, 364 
Van Wurmb, Lieut.-Col., 154 
Van Wyck, Mayor, 245 
Vault Hill, 162, 171, 301, 302 
Vehicles, 223, 224, 299 
Vercher's Island, 105, 365 



450 



Index 



Vermilye, Peter, 343 

Vermilye, Thomas, 190 

Verrazano, 24 

Verveelen, Johannes, 105, 180, 182, 

183, 184, 185, 192, 276, 335, 356, 

365 
Vesey, Rev. William, 256, 257 
Villanis, Father, 285 
Vincent-Halsey house, 426 
Vincents, 426 
Vriedelandt, the, 30, 31, 35, 37 

Waagh, de, 2)7 
Waddington's Point, 385 
Wading-places, 60, 61, 181, 182, 

184, 188, 192, 211,335 
Wadsworth, Brig. -Gen., 142 
Wagner, Senator, 334 
Wakefield, 15, 235, 419, 421 
Wal deckers, 154 
Walgrove, George W., 303 
Walworth, Chancellor, 201 
Wampum, 26, 105, 316 
War, Council of, 141, 142 
Ward's Island, 364 
Warner, Capt. John, 293, 325 
War, French and Indian, 190, 281, 

282 
War of 1 8 12, 299, 395 
Wars, Dutch and English, 45, 57 
Wars, Indian, 28, 29, 30, 35 
Washington Bridge {see Bridges) 
Washington Bridge Park, 321, 351 
Washington, George, 17, 119, 122, 
124, 125, 126, 131, 137, 138, 139, 
141, 142, 143, 148, 150, 156, 157, 
168, 170, 172, 176, 189, 292, 295, 
297, 298, 302, 311, 345, 354» 360, 
361,363,420,429 
Washingtonville, 421 
Water supply, 17, 202, 203, 204, 216, 

357 
Waters, Edward, 58 
Webb, William Henry, 344 
Webb's Academy and Home, 217, 

277. 320, 344, 345, 346 
Weckquaesgeek Indians, 18, 25, 28, 

34,43,211,312 
Weddings, colonial, 1 10, 260, 390 
Weir Creek, 18, 42 
Wendover Avenue, 319, 371 
Wendover, Peter H., 376, 377 
Westchester, 36, 37, 38, 41, 42, 48, 
49, 51. 53, 56, 57, 58, 60, 70, 71, 72 , 
83, 95, 97, 98, 100, 104, 114, 115, 
119, 123, 133, 137, 139, 140, 143, 



152, 166, 170, 189, 209, 218, 220, 
221, 251, 252, 253, 261, 263, 271, 
279, 282, 310, 343, 374, 395 

Westchester Avenue, 16, 219, 245, 
247, 266, 402, 405 

Westchester burying-ground, 263, 
266 

Westchester campaign, 127, 137, 149 

Westchester causeway, 140, 141, 

317 

Westchester Creek, 15, 18, 22, 31, 
35, 140, 141, 185, 209, 211, 220, 
310, 406, 407 

Westchester County, i, 2, 6, 7, 8, 14, 
16,17,26,28,47, 56,61,65,67,72, 
77, 83, 86, 87, 92, 116, 117, 118, 
119, 120, 122, 130, 137, 147, 151, 
186, 193, 195, 196, 201, 221, 229, 
248,249, 272, 281 

Westchester Country Club, 413 

Westchester Light Horse, 83, 151, 
152, 163, 172, 173, 174, 330, 348 

Westchester Parish, 253, 254, 256, 

257 
Westchester Path, 60, 211, 213, 219, 

417, 424, 425 

Westchester- PelhamTurnpike Com- 
pany, 317 

Westchester Polo Club, 412 

Westchester Racing Association, 
290 

Westchester, township of, 2, 4, 5, 7, 

305, 342, 395, 419 

Westchester Traction Company, 
241 

Westchester Turnpike Company, 
219 

Westcott, John, 60 

West Farms, 4, 5, 6, 7, 16, 18, 22, 42, 
48, 83, 84, 104, 114, 119, 133, 152, 
156, 167, 193, 194, 209, 210, 229, 
240, 245, 249, 271, 280, 287, 290, 
305, 318, 342, 371. 380, 389, 390, 
392 

West India Company, 25, 27, 31, 33, 

34, 37, 42, 45, 46, 49, 93 
West Morrisania, 371 
Whale-boatmen, 160, 161 
Wheeler, Lieut. Thomas, 36, 37, 38 
Whigs, 330, 391 
Whitefield, George, 286 
White Plains, 114, 115, 116, 119,130, 

131, 135, 141, 148, 149, 153, 159, 

171, 221, 229, 397, 398, 420 
White Plains Road, 215, 220, 247, 

417, 419, 426 



Index 



451 



Whitestone, Long Island, 22, 185 

Whiting, James R., 328 

Whitlock, Benjamin, 387, 388 

"Whitlock's Folly," 388 

Wigs, 90 

Wigwam Brook, 43, 381 

Wilkins, Gouverneur Morris, 407, 

409 
Wilkins, Isaac, 72, 117, 264, 359, 

399, 407, 409 
Wilkins Creek (see Pugsley's Creek) 
Wilkins house, the, 261, 407, 408 
Willett, Gilbert, 72 
Willett, Isaac, 259 
Willett, Thomas, 31 
Willett, William, 57, 77, 402 
Willett's Point, 18, 72 
William and Mary, 69, 70 
William Henry, Prince (William IV), 

174, 298 
William III., 75 
Williams, Captain, 172 
Williams, John, 124, 356, 418 
Williams, Roger, 29, 30 
Williams's Bridge {see Bridges) 
Williamsbridge, 2, 15, 17, 124, 128, 

149, 152, 155, 158, 214, 215, 342, 

356, 418, 419 
Williamsbridge Road, 417 
Wilson, Gen. James Grant, 384 
Wilton, 371, 378 
Winter of 1778-79, 166 
Winthrop, Gov. John, 46 
Witchcraft, 57, 58 
Woariatapus, 51 



Wolf's Lane, 146 
Wolves, 53, 426 
Woodbridge, Major, 173 
Woodlawn, 232, 235, 422 
Woodlawn Cemetery, 128, 216, 321, 

340, 421, 422 
Woodlawn Heights, 15, 162, 163, 

329, 341 
Woodstock, 371 
Wooley, John, 185 
Woolf, Anthony, 371 
Wooster, General, 156, 157, 158 
Wright, J. Hood, 237 
Wyatt, Rev. Christopher, 265 
Wynkoop, Colonel, 119 

Yachts, 430 

Yaff, 73 

Yagers, 153, 154, 155, 170 

Yale College, 102 

Yards, railroad, 231, 232, 233, 235 

Yates, Robert, 118 

Yonkers, 2, 6, 14, 15, 33, 59, 60, 81, 

119, 125, 137, 149, 152, 155, 162, 

171, 211, 212, 229, 253 
Yorkshire, ridings, 47 
Yorktown, Virginia, 165, 171 
Youngs, George, 100 

Zboroski, Martin, 319, 371 
Zenger, John Peter, 74, 77, 78, 82 
Zion M. E. Church, Westchester, 

286, 287 
Zoological Society and Gardens, 308 , 

351 



" M. book every one should read." — M. Y. Sun 

The Greatest Street 
in the World 

The Story of Broadway, Old and New, from 
Bowling Green to Albany 

^y Stephen Jenkins 

Member Westchester County Historical Society 

160 Illustrations and six maps. 500 pages, 
$3.50 net. {$3. 75 by mail) 

Mr. Jenkins has presented the whole 
history of Broadway, old and new, through 
all the miles of its long course from the 
Bowling Green to Albany ; its historic 
associations from pre-Revolutionary times 
to the present, its theatres and actors that 
made them famous, its literary incidents 
and personalities, the busy hum of city 
life that rises heavenward between its 
towering buildings, and all the abundant 
energy that flows through it ceaselessly. 

Send for Illustrated Circular 

G. P. Putnam's Sons 

New York London 



WhereGhostsWalk 



Two 
Series 



The Haunts of Familiar Characters in History 
and Literature 

By Marion Hariand 

Author of " Colonial Homesteads and Their Stories," etc. 

Two volumes. 8vo, With Photogravure and Other IlluS'' 
trations. Sold separately, each, S2.50 net 

Contents of First Series 

Two Little Rooms A Fourteenth-Centxiry New 
" Only a But an' a Ben " Woman 

" Her Gloomy Honeymoon " The Ginevra Table 

"An Eating-House for John Keats in Rome 

Goodly Fare " Told on the Lagoon 

No. 24 Cheyne Row In Ravenna 

Dante's Every-Day "Wife II Magnifico 

The Prophet of San Marco As in David's Day 
In Villette 

Contents of Second Series 

Little Boy Blue Josephine at Malmaison 

The Ladies of Llangollen Amy Robsart at Cumnor 
Charles I. in Westminster Place 

Hall Salisbury Plain and Stone- 
Sir Philip Sidney at Pens- henge 

hurst Gentle George Herbert at 
Among Historic Chateaux Bemerton 

Joan of Arc at Chinon Marie Stuart at Amboise 

" In these volumes fascinating pictures are thrown upon the screen so 
rapidly that we have not time to have done with our admiration for one 
before the next one is encountered. . . . Long-forgotten heroes live once 
more ; we recall the honored dead to life again, and the imagination runs 
riot. Travel of this kind does not weary, it fascinates." — IV. V. Times, 

G. P. Putnam's Sons 

New York London 



Literary New York 

Its Landmarks and Associations 
By Charles Hemstreet 

8vo. With 65 Illustrations, $1.75 net 
(^y mail, $1.95) 

The subject of Historic New York is a favS- 
cinating one, and this book, written by a weh- 
known authority, and embelHshed with many 
new and artistic illustrations, will appeal to a 
wide circle of readers. Mr. Hemstreet's de- 
scriptions and traditions cluster around the great 
literary figures who have been associated with 
old New York. The book contains much that 
is valuable, and in its charming form is well 
suited for presentation, and also deserves a place 
in every library. 

Chronicles of Tarrytown 
and Sleepy Hollow 

By Edgar Mayhew Bacon 

Author of " The Hudson River," " Narragansett 
Bay," etc. 

16mo. Revised Edition, gilt top. With 19 Illustra- 
tions and a Map, $1.25 net. (jBi; mail $135) 

" The author has well performed an agree- 
able task, for the material is abundant and the 
charm of it wonderfully appeaHng to men of 
imagination and historical interest. The illus- 
trations bring out the spirit of the locaHty." 

The Outlook. 

New York G. P. Putnam'S Sons London 



Historic New York 

Pictures of Social and Political Life in 

New Amsterdam and Early 

New York 

Edited by Maud Wilder Goodwin, Alice 
Camngton Royce, Ruth Putnam, 
Eva Palmer Brownell 
8°. With 62 Illustrations^ including Charts 
and Diagrams. $3.50 net. By mail, $3.75. 

This volume does not attempt to give any 
connected history of the city, but to present 
authentic accounts of localities of special inter- 
est, and to describe the features peculiar to the 
life of the olden time in New Amsterdam and 
early New York. It offers, in convenient form 
for ready reference, carefully gleaned informa- 
tion, enlivened by hints of legend and tradition 
which have cast their glamor over Manhattan 
Island ; and it has been the aim of the editors 
to make the volume of value to the general 
reader as well as to the students of history. 
The editors have studied not only the standard 
authorities, but have consulted the Dutch 
Archives and have made researches in the 
records of the Historical Societies of the vari- 
ous cities of the State, and have spared no 
labor in their efforts to make their accounts 
thoroughly trustworthy. 

New York G. P. Putnam^S Sons ' London 



9) 



fX- 










s"^-' -''-p.. 










^v^^#- ^ "^ % 



-" o>' 



,A- y ,, 









-0' n" - *-. -^^ 



A _ N C ^ •/ ; 



■> |ey?^^, ^ ': 



OO^ 



'-^huM'' 



4- "^^ 



*»,A* V^ 



^■^ C^' 



'^ .V 



V O. 






i^^fv).^; %,<^' 






/^ •^''"■^:. 









'J^ C ° "■' "^ « . ■ O 



"^^ V^ 

















." ^0 









^^ •'• 



^ '^M 






N C „ 'i-- 






* 0Hr//y^, f 






-. .<f 



■-> '^ 1. ' " ■ ^ '" 



^ c,^ 






.^' 



\\ ,. >! C « -^ 












^>' 












^^^, ^^^-"^ 



A o 



L' 






■V- ,,V 



.^^ 



#^^. 



<^<: 



^-.,^^ 









fe'^ ^/% \¥SP;^ ^'^^'"^ 



,0 









v^ %»i^.>,: 



^d>. %„^ .^ aO 




^(f ^-^ "0^/% 



^ .>v<^%^^^. 







